It would be difficult to say whether the wit or the mystery disgusted Trevelyan the most.  He had felt that he was defiling himself with dirt when he first went to Mr Bozzle.  He knew that he was having recourse to means that were base and low which could not be other than base or low, let the circumstances be what they might.  But Mr Bozzle’s conversation had not been quite so bad as Mr Bozzle’s letters; as it may have been that Mr Bozzle’s successful activity was more insupportable than his futile attempts.  But, nevertheless, something must be done.  It could not be that Colonel Osborne should have gone down to the close neighbourhood of Nuncombe Putney without the intention of seeing the lady whom his obtrusive pertinacity had driven to that seclusion.  It was terrible to Trevelyan that Colonel Osborne should be there, and not the less terrible because such a one as Mr Bozzle was watching the Colonel on his behalf.  Should he go to Nuncombe Putney himself?  And if so, when he got to Nuncombe Putney what should he do there?  At last, in his suspense and his grief, he resolved that he would tell the whole to Hugh Stanbury.

‘Do you mean,’ said Hugh, ‘that you have put a policeman on his track?’

‘The man was a policeman once.’

‘What we call a private detective.  I can’t say I think you were right.’

‘But you see that it was necessary,’ said Trevelyan.

’I can’t say that it was necessary.  To speak out, I can’t understand that a wife should be worth watching who requires watching.’

’Is a man to do nothing then?  And even now it is not my wife whom I doubt.’

‘As for Colonel Osborne, if he chooses to go to Lessboro’, why shouldn’t he?  Nothing that you can do, or that Bozzle can do, can prevent him.  He has a perfect right to go to Lessboro’.’

‘But he has not a right to go to my wife.’

’And if your wife refuses to see him; or having seen him—­for a man may force his way in anywhere with a little trouble—­if she sends him away with a flea in his ear, as I believe she would?’

‘She is so frightfully indiscreet.’

‘I don’t see what Bozzle can do.’

‘He has found out at any rate that Osborne is there,’ said Trevelyan.  ’I am not more fond of dealing with such fellows than you are yourself.  But I think it is my duty to know what is going on.  What ought I to do now?’

‘I should do nothing except dismiss Bozzle.’

‘You know that that is nonsense, Stanbury.’

‘Whatever I did I should dismiss Bozzle.’  Stanbury was now quite in earnest, and, as he repeated his suggestion for the dismissal of the policeman, pushed his writing things away from him.  ’If you ask my opinion, you know, I must tell you what I think.  I should get rid of Bozzle as a beginning.  If you will only think of it, how can your wife come back to you if she learns that you have set a detective to watch her?’