“Well, there are two things that have come up, both of them rather important. I’ve just heard from my bookseller down there. You’ll easily find him. His name’s Malakite. He’s in Cerne Street. He says he’s got hold of the Evershot Letters . That’s the book for us, Solent! Privately printed and full of allusions to the Brambledown Case! He says there’s a man in London after it already. That may be a lie. You’ll have to find out. Sometimes Malakite’s let me have the use of a book and then sold it afterwards. You’ll have to find out, Solent. Eh? What? You’ll have to be a diplomatist, a Talleyrand, and that sort of thing, eh?”

Wolf composed his countenance as intelligently as he could and enquired what the other thing was.

Mr. Urquhart lifted his eyebrows, as if the question had been impertinent.

“The other thing?” he murmured dreamily.