heliotrope tie!"

Winter winked solemnly.

"I picked up some wrinkles in color blends at the Futurist
Exhibition," he said. "But here's Johnston to tell us the car is
ready."

The oddly assorted pair followed the constable in uniform, now
hurrying ahead to ring for the elevator. The big, bluff, bullet-headed
Superintendent was physically well fitted for his responsible
position, though he combined with the official demeanor some of the
easy-going characteristics of a country squire; but Charles Francois
Furneaux was so unlike the detective of romance and the stage that he
often found it difficult to persuade strangers that he was really the
famous detective inspector they had heard of in connection with many a
celebrated trial.

On the other hand, if one were told that he hailed from the Comedie
Francaise, the legend would be accepted without demur. He had the
clean-shaven, wrinkled face of the comedian; his black eyes sparkled
with an active intelligence; an expressive mouth bespoke clear and
fluent speech; his quick, alert movements were those of the mimetic
actor. Winter stood six feet in height, and weighed two hundred and
ten pounds; Furneaux was six inches shorter and eighty pounds lighter.
The one was a typical John Bull, the other a Channel Islander of pure
French descent, and never did more curiously assorted couple follow
the trail of a criminal.

Yet, if noteworthy when acting apart, they were almost infallible in
combination. More than one eminent scoundrel had either blown out his
brains or given himself up to the law when he knew that the Big 'Un
and Little 'Un of the Yard were hot on his track. Winter seldom failed
to arrive at the only sound conclusion from ascertained facts, whereas
Furneaux had an almost uncanny knowledge of the kinks and obliquities
of the criminal mind. In the phraseology of logic, Winter applied the
deductive method and Furneaux the inductive; when both fastened on to
the same "suspect" the unlucky wight was in parlous state.

It may be taken for granted, therefore, that the Assistant
Commissioner knew what he was about in uttering his satisfaction at
the Superintendent's choice of an assistant. Possibly he had the
earlier bond robbery in mind, and expected now that another "mystery"
would be solved. Scotland Yard guards many secrets which shirk the
glare of publicity. Some may never be explained; but by far the larger
proportion are cleared up unexpectedly by incidents whic