Hatchdidn'thaveanyverydefiniteideaastojustwhathecoulddo, sohelethimgoon."AsIunderstandit, MrdeLesseps,"heinterruptedatlast,"nooneelsewasintheroom, exceptyouandMrKale, allthetimeyouwerethere?"
"Nooneelse."
"AndIthinkMrKalesaidthatyouweremakingacopyofsomefamouswatercolor, weren'tyou?"
"Yes, aThamesscene, byWhistler,"wasthereply."Thatisit, hangingoverthemantel."
, andshowedthedefttouchofamanwhowashimselfanartistofgreatability.
DeLessepsreadtheadmirationinhisface."Itisnotbad,"hesaidmodestly."IstudiedwithCarolusDuran."
Withallelsethatwasknown, andthislittleadditionalinformation, whichseemedofnoparticularvaluetothereporter, .
"Whohadaccesstotheroom?"heaskedfinally.
"Thatiswhatthepoliceareworkingonnow,"wasthereply."Thereareacoupleofdozenservantsinthehouse, andIsuppose, inspiteofKale'srigidorders, therewasacertainlaxityintheirenforcement."
"Ofcoursethatmakesitmoredifficult,"saidTheThinkingMachineintheperpetuallyirritatedvoicewhichwassodistinctlyapartofhimself."PerhapsitwouldbebestforustogotoMrKale'shomeandpersonallyinvestigate."
, whoexplainedtheobjectoftheirvisit.
"Iguessyoufellowscan'tdoanythingwiththis,"themillionaireassuredthem."I'vegotsomeregulardetectivesonit."
"IsMrMalloryherenow?"asked"TheThinkingMachine"curtly.
"Yes, heisupstairsintheservants'quarters."
"Mayweseetheroomfromwhichthepicturewastaken?"inquiredthescientist, withasuaveintonationwhichHatchknewwell.
Kalegrantedthepermissionwithawaveofthehand, andusheredthemintotheballroom, , totheconservatory, , '.
