the metropolitan detective who had been
with him in Hampshire, and whose labours there had proved so futile. The
task now to be performed seemed easy enough. Mr. Proul (Proul was the
name of the gentleman engaged by Gilbert) had only to discover the
whereabouts of Percival Nowell; a matter of no great difficulty, Gilbert
imagined, since it was most likely that Marian's father had frequent
personal communication with the lawyer; nor was it improbable that he
would have business with his agent or representative, Mr. Tulliver, in
Queen Anne's Court. Provided with these two addresses, Gilbert fancied
that Mr. Proul's work must needs be easy enough.

That gentleman, however, was not disposed to make light of the duty
committed to him; whether from a professional habit of exaggerating the
importance of any mission undertaken by him, or in perfect singleness of
mind, it is not easy to say.

"It's a watching business, you see sir," he told Gilbert, "and is pretty
sure to be tedious. I may put a man to hang about this Mr. Medler's
business all day and every day for a month at a stretch, and he may miss
his customer at the last, especially as you can't give me any kind of
description of the man you want."

"Surely your agent could get some information out of Medler's clerk; it's
in his trade to do that kind of thing, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, sir; I don't deny that I might put a man on to the clerk, and
it might answer. On the other hand, such a gentleman's clerk would be
likely to be uncommon well trained and uncommon little trusted."

"But we want to know so little," Gilbert exclaimed impatiently; "only
where this man lives, and who lives with him."

"Yes," murmured Mr. Proul, rubbing his chin thoughtfully; "it ain't much,
as you say, and it might be got out of the clerk, if the clerk knows it;
but as to Mrs. Holbrook having got away from Hampshire and come to
London, that's more than I can believe. I worked that business harder and
closer than ever I worked any business yet. You told me to spare neither
money nor time, and I didn't spare either; though it was more a question
of time than money, for my expenses were light enough, as you know. I
don't believe Mrs. Holbrook could have got away from Malsham station up
to the time when I left Hampshire. I'm pretty certain she couldn't have
left the place any other way than by rail; I'm more than certain she
couldn't have been living anywhere in the neighbourhood when I was
hunt