“The fellow began by being impertinent, ended by being insulting—and made his exit through the study window, his case closed.”
The Chief smiled slightly, then relapsed into meditation. After a brief silence, he said:
“Mr. Follingsbee, can’t you give me a fuller account of that interview between Mr. Warburton and this—this Mr. Grip?”
“No,” returns the lawyer, “no; I can’t—at present. There were some things said that made the visit a purely personal affair. The fellow gained access to the house through making use of your name, rather by seeming to. You see by that scrawl he was too clever to actually commit forgery.”
The Chief looked closely at the illegible signature and said:
“I see; sharp rascal.”
“I thought,” pursued the lawyer, “that it might interest you to hear of this affair. The fellow may try the trick again, and—”
“It does interest me, sir,” interrupts the other. “It interests me very much. May I keep this letter?”
“For the present, yes.”
“Thanks. I’ll undertake to find out who wrote it—very soon. And, having identified this impostor, I shall hope to hear more of his doings at Warburton Place.”