Chapter 25

The investigator warmly replied:

"Sir, never mind, I like to see people angry when I deal with them, whether they are on my side or the other, so when people are angry, learn the truth from them, and keep quiet; that's my trade! You know, you told me about those lamps." In the last two minutes more than she told me when she filled me in on the details of how to get to know her."

sneered Mr. Corbeck, not glad he had turned himself in, turned to me at once and said in his natural way:

"Now tell me how you got them back?"

I was so surprised that I said without thinking:

"We didn't prepare them!"

The visitor laughed openly.

"What on earth do you mean? You didn't take them back! Why are they in front of your eyes! We found you looking at them when we came in."

By this time I had realized my surprise.

"Why, that's it," I said, "we ran into them, by chance,