"Don't you think you had better send a man up to Royal Crescent," he said, "to ask Dr. Mainwaring? There may be a mistake, you know. It would be safer."
I could see that the inspector was very unwilling to admit the possibility of a mistake; he was, however, overruled by the man who was writing in the book, and who appeared to be a person in authority.
"Shapland," he said to a waiting constable, "go up to Dr. Mainwaring's and ask if he knows a person of the name of Anstruther."
"You'd better take one of my cards there with you," I suggested, "then he'll know who you mean."
The inspector gave me a scathing look, but gave the man one of the cards out of my case.
I think they were undecided then as to whether they would lock me up or not, but eventually made up their minds on the side of prudence.
I was allowed to sit by the fire.
Within half an hour a motor came puffing up to the police station, and
Dr. Mainwaring entered.
"My dear Mr. Anstruther," he inquired breathlessly, "whatever is the matter?"
In a few brief sentences I unloaded the burden of my wrongs.