The little secretary blinked at him through his pince-nez.

“There have been so many messages about this shocking affair that really I forget ...”

He sighed heavily.

“Couldn’t I come in and have a yarn now?”

Bruce spoke cajolingly. But Mr. Jeekes wrinkled his brow fussily.

There was so much to do; he had had a long day; if Wright would excuse him ...

“As a matter of fact,” explained Bruce with an eye on his man, “I wanted to see you particularly about a letter ...”

“Some other time ... to-morrow ...”

“Written on dark-blue paper ... you know, one of those letters H.P. made all the fuss about.”

Mr. Jeekes took his pince-nez from his nose, gave the glasses a hasty rub with his pocket-handkerchief, and replaced them. He slanted a long narrow look at the young man.