"It takes you far," continued Darrow, "but not far enough. You observe only facts; I also observe men. You will follow only where your facts lead; I am willing to take a leap in the dark. I'll have all this matter hunted out while you are proving your first steps."
"That, I understand it, is a challenge?" demanded Eldridge, touched in his pride of the scientific diagnostician.
"That," said Percy Darrow blandly, "is a statement of fact."
"We shall see."
"Sure!" agreed Darrow. "Now, the thing to do is to find Monsieur X. I don't know whether your curiously scutellate mind has arrived at the point where it is willing to admit the existence of Monsieur X or not; but it will. The man who finds Monsieur X wins. Now, you know or can read in the morning paper every fact I have. Go to it!"
Eldridge bowed formally.
"There's one other thing," went on Darrow in a more serious tone of voice. "You have, of course, considered the logical result of this power carried to its ultimate possibility."
"Certainly," replied Eldridge coldly. "The question is superfluous."
"It is a conclusion which many scientific minds will come to, but which will escape the general public unless the surmise is published. For the present I suggest that we use our influence to keep it out of the prints."
Eldridge reflected. "You are quite right," said he; and rose to go.