"The letter written to my friend Holmlock Shears was posted?"
"Naturally."
"Who posted it?"
"Dominique, who has been with me as my own man for twenty years," replied the baron. "Any search in that direction would be waste of time."
"Time employed in searching is never wasted," stated Wilson, sententiously.
This closed the first inquiries and Shears asked leave to withdraw.
An hour later, at dinner, he saw Sophie and Henrietta, the d'Imblevalles' children, two pretty little girls of eight and six respectively. The conversation languished. Shears replied to the pleasant remarks of the baron and his wife in so surly a tone that they thought it better to keep silence. Coffee was served. Shears swallowed the contents of his cup and rose from his chair.
At that moment, a servant entered with a telephone message for him. Shears opened it and read:
"Accept my enthusiastic admiration. Results obtained by you in so short a time make my head reel. I feel quite giddy.