"I am glad to see you alive, Treves. You have had one of the narrowest of escapes."
John expressed his surprise.
"I wasn't aware of any narrow escape, sir."
"Perhaps not," said Dacent Smith, "but yesterday morning, when you went to Voules's house, you literally walked into the lions' den. Fortunately, however, you were successful in preserving a whole skin."
"I had no sense of anything adventurous happening during that visit," John returned, full of curiosity.
"I'll tell you exactly just what did happen," Dacent Smith continued. He rose, went to his desk, and drew a letter from one of the drawers. "Read that letter," he said, "and see what your chances would have been if it had arrived at Voules's house before you did."
"Who wrote it?" asked John, looking at the single initial "S" at the end of the sheet.
"Your amiable friend, Crumbs," answered Dacent Smith. "He discovered Cherriton's letter in your dispatch case."
John lifted his eyebrows in intense surprise.
"I had no idea that letter was discovered, sir. I took every precaution against discovery, and should have destroyed it, but it appeared to me a specimen of Cherriton's handwriting might be useful to you in the future."