The barrister read the paragraph aloud.
“It is casuistic,” he commented, “but that defect is pardonable. After all, it is not absolutely mendacious, like a War Office telegram. Winter, go and bring joy to the heart of some penny-a-liner by giving him that item. The ‘coincidence’ will ensure its acceptance by every morning paper in London, and you can safely leave the reporter himself to add details about Mr. Hume’s connection with the Stowmarket affair.”
The detective rose.
“Will you be here when I come back, sir?” he asked.
“I expect so. In any case, you must follow on to my chambers. To-night we will concert our plan of campaign.”
Margaret entered, with Helen and the two men. Robert limped somewhat.
“How d’ye do, Brett?” he cried cheerily. “That beggar hurt me more than I imagined at the time. He struck a tendon in my left leg so hard that it is quite painful now.”
Brett gave an answering smile, but his thoughts did not find utterance. How strange it was that two men, so widely dissimilar as Robert and the vendor of newspapers, should insist on the skill, the unerring certainty, of their opponent.
“Mrs. Capella,” he said, wheeling round upon the lady, “when you lived in London or on the Continent did you ever include any Japanese in the circle of your acquaintances?”
“Yes,” was the reply.