'You're very good. No. I can't manage that. I have something to do.'
'What is that?'
'To begin a business that may take a long time to finish.'
'May I ask the nature of that business?'
'I want to find James Penwyn's murderer.'
Churchill shrugged his shoulders and smiled—a half compassionate smile.
'My dear sir,' he said, 'do you think that the murderer is ever found in such a case as this—given a delay of three days and nights—ample time for him to ship himself for any port in the known world? A low, clodhopping assassin, no doubt, in no way distinguishable from other clodhoppers. Find him! did you say? I can conceive no endeavour more hopeless. It is the fashion to rail at our police because they find it a little difficult to put their hands upon every delinquent who may be wanted, but it is hardly the simplest business in the world, to pick the right man out of ten or fifteen millions.'
Maurice Clissold heard him with a troubled look and short impatient sigh.
'I dare say you are right,' he said, 'but I shall do my best to unravel the mystery, even if I am doomed to fail.'