"I'll stand the expense with pleasure," said Mr. Mitchel.
"Not at all," interrupted Mr. Goldie. "It was through my blundering that we lost, and I'll pay the piper."
"Settle it between you," cried Mr. Barnes. "But let us walk on. I am getting hungry."
Whereupon they adjourned to Delmonico's.
IV
THE MONTEZUMA EMERALD
"Is the Inspector in?"
Mr. Barnes immediately recognized the voice, and turned to greet the speaker. The man was Mr. Leroy Mitchel's English valet. Contrary to all precedent and tradition, he did not speak in cockney dialect, not even stumbling over the proper distribution of the letter "h" throughout his vocabulary. That he was English, however, was apparent to the ear, because of a certain rather attractive accent, peculiar to his native island, and to the eye because of a deferential politeness of manner, too seldom observed in American servants. He also always called Mr. Barnes "Inspector," oblivious of the fact that he was not a member of the regular police, and mindful only of the English application of the word to detectives.
"Step right in, Williams," said Mr. Barnes. "What is the trouble?"