“I must go now, with the chief, to the station house to do that telephoning, for that must be attended to, first, if we wish to catch the murderer. Now, if you will play your part in this affair, so that we can ultimately bring the murderer here—we will say, face to face with Mr. Lynne himself—I want you, when we leave this room, to go at once to Mr. Lynne, feel his pulse, and say or do something which will make it imperative—imperative, mind you—that he shall go home to your house with you until I call for him there on my return from the station house.â€�
“I think I understand you,� said the doctor.
“Insist that you must look after his health; that he must have an hour or two of rest while the chief and I are busy about other matters. If he should insist upon returning to this house, come with him. Will you do all that till we return from the station house?�
“Surely. And even if you did not have another reason, the one you have given is already sufficient. He does need the rest and a tonic of some kind.�
“The tonic he will want is brandy, doctor.�
“He was never a drinking man,� said the chief.
“Nevertheless, give him brandy if he wants it, and if it should happen that he has learned to smoke while he was away, offer him a cigar.�
“No use,� said the chief, shaking his head.
“Oh, well, one doesn’t always know. For instance, chief, what would you say if you were told that Mr. Lynne is contemplating a second marriage?�
“I should probably call the man a liar who told it to me,� was the dry response.