This statement was so clear that Inspector Chippenfield had no choice but to face the conclusion that Miss Fewbanks had more faith in the abilities of a private detective to unravel the mystery than she had in the resources of Scotland Yard.  He would have liked to have told the young lady what he thought of her for interfering with his work, and he determined to avail himself of the right opportunity to do so if it came along.  But the statement that money was not to be spared had a soothing influence on his feelings.  Of course, officers of Scotland Yard were not allowed to take gratuities however substantial they might be, but there were material ways of expressing gratitude which were outside the regulations of the department.

“I shall be very pleased to give Mr. Crewe any assistance he wants,” said Inspector Chippenfield, bowing stiffly.

It was seldom that he took a subordinate fully into his confidence, but after he left Miss Fewbanks he flung aside his official pride in order to discuss with Rolfe the enlistment of the services of Crewe.  Rolfe was no less indignant than his chief at the intrusion of an outsider into their sphere.  Crewe was an exponent of the deductive school of crime investigation, and had first achieved fame over the Abbindon case some years ago, when he had succeeded in restoring the kidnapped heir of the Abbindon estates after the police had failed to trace the missing child.  In detective stories the attitude of members of Scotland Yard to the deductive expert is that of admiration based on conscious inferiority, but in real life the experts of Scotland Yard have the utmost contempt for the deductive experts and their methods.  The disdainful pity of the deductive experts for the rule-of-thumb methods of the police is not to be compared with the vigorous scorn of the official detective for the rival who has not had the benefit of police training.

“Look here, Rolfe,” said Inspector Chippenfield, “we mustn’t let Crewe get ahead of us in this affair, or we’ll never hear the last of it.  It’s scandalous of a man like Crewe, who has money of his own and could live like a gentleman, coming along and taking the bread out of our mouths by accepting fees and rewards for hunting after criminals.  Of course I know they say he is lavish with his money and gives away more than he earns, but that’s all bosh—­he sticks it in his own pocket, right enough.  One thing is certain:  he gets paid whether he wins or loses; that is to say, he gets his fee in any case, but of course if he wins something will be added to his fee.  In the meantime all you and I get is our salaries, and, as you know, the pay of an inspector isn’t what it ought to be.”

Rolfe assured his superior of his conviction that the pay at Scotland Yard ought to be higher for all ranks—­especially the rank and file.  He also declared that he was ready to do his best to thwart Crewe.