lawyer eagerly. Like Tuppence, he felt the magnetism of the other’s
personality. He was reminded of Mr. Carter. The two men, totally unlike so far
as physical resemblance went, produced a similar effect. Beneath the weary
manner of the one and the professional reserve of the other, lay the same
quality of mind, keen-edged like a rapier.
In the meantime he was conscious of Sir James’s close scrutiny. When the
lawyer dropped his eyes the young man had the feeling that the other had read
him through and through like an open book. He could not but wonder what the
final judgment was, but there was little chance of learning that. Sir James
took in everything, but gave out only what he chose. A proof of that occurred
almost at once.
Immediately the first greetings were over Julius broke out into a flood of
eager questions. How had Sir James managed to track the girl? Why had he not
let them know that he was still working on the case? And so on.
Sir James stroked his chin and smiled. At last he said:
“Just so, just so. Well, she’s found. And that’s the great thing, isn’t
it? Eh! Come now, that’s the great thing?”
“Sure it is. But just how did you strike her trail? Miss Tuppence and I
thought you’d quit for good and all.”
“Ah!” The lawyer shot a lightning glance at him, then resumed operations
on his chin. “You thought that, did you? Did you really? H’m, dear me.”
“But I guess I can take it we were wrong,” pursued Julius.
“Well, I don’t know that I should go so far as to say that. But it’s
certainly fortunate for all parties that we’ve managed to find the young lady.”
“But where is she?” demanded Julius, his thoughts flying off on another
tack. “I thought you’d be sure to bring her along?”
“That would hardly be possible,” said Sir James gravely.
“Why?”
“Because the young lady was knocked down in a street accident, and has
sustained slight injuries to the head. She was taken to the infirmary, and on
recovering consciousness gave her name as Jane Finn. When–ah!–I heard that, I
arranged for her to be removed to the house of a doctor–a friend of mine, and
wired at once for you. She relapsed into unconsciousness and has not spoken
since.”
“She’s not seriously hurt?”
“Oh, a bruise and a cut or two; really, from a medical point of view,
absurdly slight injuries to have produced such a condition. Her state is
probably to be attributed to the mental shock consequent on recovering her
memory.”
“It’s come back?” cried Julius excitedly.
Sir James tapped the table rather impatiently.
“Undoubtedly, Mr. Hersheimmer, since she was able to give her real name. I
thought you had appreciated that point.”
“And you just happened to be on the spot,” said Tommy. “Seems quite like a
fairy tale.”
But Sir James was far too wary to be drawn.
“Coincidences are curious things,” he said dryly.
Nevertheless Tommy was now certain of what he had before only suspected.
Sir James’s presence in Manchester was not accidental. Far from abandoning the
case, as Julius supposed, he had by some means of his own successfully run the
missing girl to earth. The only thing that puzzled Tommy was the reason for all
this secrecy. He concluded that it was a foible of the legal mind.
Julius was speaking.
“After dinner,” he announced, “I shall go right away and see Jane.”
“That will be impossible, I fear,” said Sir James. “It is very unlikely
they would allow her to see visitors at this time of night. I should suggest
to-morrow morning about ten o’clock.”
Julius flushed. There was something in Sir James which always stirred him
to antagonism. It was a conflict of two masterful personalities.
“All the same, I reckon I’ll go round there to-night and see if I can’t
ginger them up to break through their silly rules.”
“It will be quite useless, Mr. Hersheimmer.”
The words came out like the crack of a pistol, and Tommy looked up with a
start. Julius was nervous and excited. The hand with which he raised his glass