A faint smile crossed Sir Clinton's face.
“I think Mr. Billingford means that he lives by his wits, inspector. Am I correct?” he asked, turning to Billingford.
“Well, in a way, yes,” was the unashamed reply. “But commission agent sounds rather better if it gets into the papers.”
“A very proper tribute to respectability,” Sir Clinton commented drily.
“What did you know about Staveley?” the inspector went on.
“Staveley? Nothing much. Used to meet him now and again. The two of us did business together at times.”
“Was he a commission agent too?” the inspector inquired ironically.
“Well, sometimes he said he was that, and other times he put himself down as a labourer.”
“On the police charge-sheet, you mean?” Sir Clinton asked.
Billingford grinned openly.