Chapter 22

Sergeant Dow made some objections at first, but finally agreed to advise privately on any matter that might be put to him. He added that I had to remember that he had only undertaken to give advice and that if action was required he might have to refer the matter to headquarters and with that understanding I left it to the discussion, and brought Miss Trelawney and Mr Corbeck to him. Nurse Kennedy took her place at the bedside before we left the room.

I could not help but admire the careful and calm delicacy with which the visitor expressed his case, and did not seem to hide anything, yet gave the least possible description of the missing things and did not exaggerate the mystery of the case and seemed to regard it as an ordinary hotel robbery knowing, however, that his sole aim is the recovery of antiquities before their identity was obliterated and I could see the rare intellectual skill with which he gave the necessary command and retracted everything else and I think this