nicety, on resigning to take up a higher appointment out of England
got decorated for (really) Inspector Heat’s services. To work with
him had been a pride and a pleasure. The third, a bit of a dark
horse from the first, was at the end of eighteen months something
of a dark horse still to the department. Upon the whole Chief
Inspector Heat believed him to be in the main harmless – odd-
looking, but harmless. He was speaking now, and the Chief
Inspector listened with outward deference (which means nothing,
being a matter of duty) and inwardly with benevolent toleration.
“Michaelis reported himself before leaving London for the country?”
“Yes, sir. He did.”
“And what may he be doing there?” continued the Assistant
Commissioner, who was perfectly informed on that point. Fitted
with painful tightness into an old wooden arm-chair, before a worm-
eaten oak table in an upstairs room of a four-roomed cottage with a
roof of moss-grown tiles, Michaelis was writing night and day in a
shaky, slanting hand that “Autobiography of a Prisoner” which was
to be like a book of Revelation in the history of mankind. The
conditions of confined space, seclusion, and solitude in a small
four-roomed cottage were favourable to his inspiration. It was
like being in prison, except that one was never disturbed for the
odious purpose of taking exercise according to the tyrannical
regulations of his old home in the penitentiary. He could not tell
whether the sun still shone on the earth or not. The perspiration
of the literary labour dropped from his brow. A delightful
enthusiasm urged him on. It was the liberation of his inner life,
the letting out of his soul into the wide world. And the zeal of
his guileless vanity (first awakened by the offer of five hundred
pounds from a publisher) seemed something predestined and holy.
“It would be, of course, most desirable to be informed exactly,”
insisted the Assistant Commissioner uncandidly.
Chief Inspector Heat, conscious of renewed irritation at this
display of scrupulousness, said that the county police had been
notified from the first of Michaelis’ arrival, and that a full
report could be obtained in a few hours. A wire to the
superintendent –
Thus he spoke, rather slowly, while his mind seemed already to be
weighing the consequences. A slight knitting of the brow was the
outward sign of this. But he was interrupted by a question.
“You’ve sent that wire already?”
“No, sir,” he answered, as if surprised.
The Assistant Commissioner uncrossed his legs suddenly. The
briskness of that movement contrasted with the casual way in which
he threw out a suggestion.
“Would you think that Michaelis had anything to do with the
preparation of that bomb, for instance?”
The Chief Inspector assumed a reflective manner.
“I wouldn’t say so. There’s no necessity to say anything at
present. He associates with men who are classed as dangerous. He
was made a delegate of the Red Committee less than a year after his
release on licence. A sort of compliment, I suppose.”
And the Chief Inspector laughed a little angrily, a little
scornfully. With a man of that sort scrupulousness was a misplaced
and even an illegal sentiment. The celebrity bestowed upon
Michaelis on his release two years ago by some emotional
journalists in want of special copy had rankled ever since in his
breast. It was perfectly legal to arrest that man on the barest
suspicion. It was legal and expedient on the face of it. His two
former chiefs would have seen the point at once; whereas this one,
without saying either yes or no, sat there, as if lost in a dream.
Moreover, besides being legal and expedient, the arrest of
Michaelis solved a little personal difficulty which worried Chief
Inspector Heat somewhat. This difficulty had its bearing upon his
reputation, upon his comfort, and even upon the efficient
performance of his duties. For, if Michaelis no doubt knew
something about this outrage, the Chief Inspector was fairly
certain that he did not know too much. This was just as well. He
knew much less – the Chief Inspector was positive – than certain
other individuals he had in his mind, but whose arrest seemed to