I found he had left during the morning.
"Mr. Saumarez went up to town, sir," explained the clerk, "by the twelve-twenty."
"Thank you," I said, and walked away to the smoking-room to have a good think again. Eating for the present was out of the question.
After three cigarettes I arrived at the following conclusions. I would go up to town in the morning, secure the packets, and read them in my lawyers' office.
I would not trust myself to carry them about with me while that man Saumarez was at large. It was very evident that the safe and its contents possessed a great attraction for him; probably with very good reason.
I caught the morning train to London, and arrived in Lincoln's Inn about two o'clock, after lunching early at my club. There Messrs. Blackett & Snowdon's managing clerk handed me the registered packet which I had sent off the evening before from the post office in Monmouth Street, Bath.
With this in my hand I retired to the private office of Mr. Snowdon, who was away from town, his room being placed at my disposal by the managing clerk when I told him I had some important papers to examine.
I sat down at the desk, cleared it of the few papers lying there, then prepared to open my precious parcel.
First I tore off the registered envelope.
Yes, there were the two packets which I had thought so much of in the hours I lay awake during the night. There was the key; there was the handkerchief.