as no longer visible. It seemed plain
that the person or the event he had awaited with such obvious
nervousness had arrived and passed; one more of the problems, anxieties
or crises that join and unravel moment by moment in the human ant-hill
of London, had perhaps closed for good or ill within the past half-hour;
perhaps it had only begun.

A message awaited Hewitt at his office--an urgent message. The
housekeeper had come in from next door, Kerrett reported, with an urgent
request that Mr. Martin Hewitt would go immediately to the offices of
Mr. Denson, on the third floor. The housekeeper seemed to know little or
nothing of the business, except that a Mr. Samuel was alone in Mr.
Denson's office, and had sent the message.

With no delay Hewitt transferred himself to the next-door offices. There
the housekeeper, who inhabited a uniform and a glass box opposite the
foot of the first flight of stairs, directed Hewitt, with the remark
that the gentleman was very impatient and very much upset. "Third floor,
sir, second door on the right; name Denson on the door. There's no
lift."

"W.F. Denson" was the complete name, followed by the line "Foreign and
Commission Agent." This Hewitt read with some little difficulty, for the
door was open, and on the threshold stood that same agitated Jew whom
Hewitt had seen at the front door.

A little less actively perturbed now, he was nevertheless still
nervously pale. "Mr. Martin Hewitt?" he cried, while Hewitt was still
only at the head of the stairs. "Is it Mr. Martin Hewitt?"

Hewitt came quietly along the corridor, using eyes and ears as he came.
The Jew was a man of middle height, very obviously Jewish, and with a
slight accent that hinted a Continental origin.

"I have just received your message," Hewitt said, "and, as you see, I am
here with no delay. Is Mr. Denson in?"

"No--good heafens no--I would gif anything if he was, Mr. Hewitt. Come
in, do! I haf been robbed--robbed by Denson himself, wit'out a wort of
doubt. It is terrible--terrible! Fifteen t'ousant pounds! It ruins me,
Mr. Hewitt, ruins me! Unless you can recover it! If you recover it, I
will pay--pay--oh, I will pay fery well indeed!"

There was a characteristically sudden moderation of the client's
emphasis when he came to the engagement to pay. Hewitt had observed it
in other clients, but it did not disturb him.

"First," he said, "you must tell me your difficulty. You say you have
been robbed of fifteen t