The narrow eyes had twinkled. "Not supposed to, sir——"
"Right. Say when——"
And so our healths had been drunk.
"You see," Philip had resumed presently, "I understood from Mr. Mackwith this morning—you knew that was Mr. Mackwith, K.C., you were talking to, didn't you—the tall man in morning-coat and spats?"
"Was he indeed, sir?"
"Yes, that was Mr. Mackwith, and I understood from him that you had said you had all the evidence you wanted?"
The Inspector had been sitting with his cap on his knees and the glass of whisky inside it like a flowerpot in a vase. He had ruminated.
"Well," he had said suddenly, "the fact is that that was this morning, gentlemen. Since then a certain piece of information's been laid in connection with this affair. I'm not at liberty to say what this information is, nor whether we shall act on it or not, but the Law's for the protection of us all, gentlemen, and I take it all of us wants to do our best to maintain it. Even if it meant the inconvenience," he added deliberately, "of a warrant for the search of these premises."
Here the sorely-tried Philip had given a wild laugh.
"Search these premises! Search 'em now if you like. But in God's name what for?"