He called a waiter and gave instructions that this message should be sent off early next morning.  Then he lit a cigar to soothe his disappointment.

“I cannot emulate the House of Commons bird,” he mused, “or at this moment I would be close to Jiro’s flat in Kensington, and at the same time crossing Lombardy in an express.  What an ass Winter is, to be sure, whenever a subtle stroke requires an ingenious guard.  Jiro dresses his wife in male attire and sends her on an errand he dare not perform himself.  The fact that they depart together from their residence is diplomatic in itself.  If they are followed, the watcher is sure to shadow Jiro and leave his unknown friend.  Just imagine Winter dodging Jiro around the Rosetta Stone or the Phoebus Apollo, whilst the woman is visiting some one or some place of infinite value to our search.  It is positively maddening.”

Perhaps, in his heart, Brett felt that Winter was not so greatly to blame.  The sudden appearance on the scene of a portly and respectable stranger was disconcerting, but could hardly serve as an excuse for leaving Jiro’s trail at the point of bifurcation.

Moreover, it is difficult to suspect stout people of criminal tendencies.  Winter had the best of negative evidence that they are not adapted for “treasons, spoils, and stratagems.”  Even a convicted rogue, if corpulent, demands sympathy.

But Brett was very sore.  He stamped about the room and kicked unoffending chairs out of the way.  His unfailing instinct told him that a rare opportunity had been lost.  It was well for Winter that he was beyond reach of the barrister’s tongue.  A valid defence would have availed him naught.

David entered.

“I just seized an opportunity—­” he commenced eagerly, but Brett levelled his cigar at him as if it were a revolver.

“You want to tell me,” he cried, “that before you were two hours in Portsmouth you ascertained Frazer’s address from an old friend.  You caught the next train for London, went to his lodgings, encountered a nagging landlady, and found that your cousin had taken his overcoat to the pawnbroker’s to raise money for his fair to Stowmarket You drove frantically to Liverpool Street, interviewed a smart platform inspector, and he told you—­”

“That all I had to do was to ask Brett, and he would not only give me a detailed history of my own actions, but produce the very man he sent me in search of,” interrupted David, laughing.  Nothing the barrister said or did could astonish him now.

“What has upset you?” he went on.  “I hope I made no mistakes.”

“None.  Your conduct has been irreproachable.  But you erred greatly in the choice of your parents.  There are far too many Hume-Frazers in existence.”

“Please tell me what is the matter?”

“Read those.”  Brett tossed the detective’s telegrams across the table.

Hume puzzled over them.