He passed on and walked briskly away.
Wilson lingered behind and said to the girl:
"Be of good hope.... He will see the thing through to the end.... He has never yet been known to fail...."
And he ran after Shears to catch him up.
HOLMLOCK SHEARS
VERSUS
ARSÈNE LUPIN
These words, standing out in great black letters, struck their eyes at the first steps they took. They walked up to them: a procession of sandwich-men was moving along in single file. In their hands they carried heavy ferruled canes, with which they tapped the pavement in unison as they went; and their boards bore the above legend in front and a further huge poster at the back which read:
THE SHEARS-LUPIN CONTEST
ARRIVAL OF
THE ENGLISH CHAMPION
THE GREAT DETECTIVE
GRAPPLES WITH
THE RUE MURILLO MYSTERY
FULL DETAILS
ÉCHO DE FRANCE
Wilson tossed his head:
"I say, Holmlock, I thought we were travelling incognito! I shouldn't be astonished to find the Republican Guard waiting for us in the Rue Murillo, with an official reception and champagne!"
"When you try to be witty, Wilson," snarled Shears, "you're witty enough for two!"