“Well, considerin’ as it was me took it when I came back to get my pipe, I ought ter know,” he answered, and then, with a sudden change of manner, “Look ’ere, Watson, or whatever yer name is, I think us two can do a deal together. Yer want to get ’old of ’Enery Jeanes, don’t yer?” I nodded. “Supposin’ I knew where ’e was to be found at this very minute, wot ’ud yer give me for the hinformation?” “Ten pounds,” I answered. He snorted. “Can’t be done under twenty, ready money. Give us yer twenty and I’ll tell yer.” “No,” I said. “Take me to where Jeanes is to be found, wherever it is, and I’ll give you, not twenty, but fifty pounds, as soon as I’m sure it is the right man. I swear it, so help me God! and I won’t go back on my word.” His eyes sparkled. “Yer a gentleman, I b’lieve,” he said, “and I’ll trust yer. But yer must keep my name out of it. Now listen. When I went down the stairs to get that ’arf-pint I met Jeanes a-comin’ up for ’is letters. I guessed it was ’im yer was after, and I wasn’t going to ’ave no harrests nor rows in my shop. Besides, if yer wanted ’im bad, I guessed yer’d be willin’ to drop money on it and if there was any money to be dropped I didn’t see why I shouldn’t be the one to pick it up.” Here was news, indeed! If the Professor was to be believed--and, notwithstanding my recent experience, I failed to see what motive he could have for misleading me in this instance--the man I was in search of had been in the town, and in that very house, scarcely more than two hours ago! And I had been sitting there idly, when every moment, every second, was precious! “Go on! go on!” I said excitedly. “Tell me the rest as fast as you can. There’s not a moment to spare. I’ll see you don’t lose by it.” He nodded and continued, but still in the same leisurely way. “Well, I harsked Jeanes to wait while I fetched the letter. That’s wot I came back to get my pipe for. Yer remember I took the letters down and pretended to count ’em? Well, I sneaked it then and gave it ’im. He gave me a sovereign, and said there wouldn’t be any more letters comin’ for ’im, and ’e shouldn’t be calling at the shop no more. Then ’e harsked me wot time the next train left for London, and I told ’im in a quarter of an hour, and ’e said that wouldn’t do, as ’e ’adn’t ’ad no lunch and was starvin’ ’ungry. So I told ’im there wasn’t another for two hours and a ’arf, and ’e said that would do capital, and where was the best place to get dinner. I told ’im the Railway Hotel, and ’e went there, ’cos I followed him to make sure. Then I whipped back and played that little game on yer just to make sure it _was_ Jeanes yer wanted. And now I guess that fifty pounds is as good as mine. Jeanes’ll be at the hotel now, or if ’e’s left there we can make sure of ’im at the station when ’e catches the London express. Wot d’ yer want him for? Looks a ’armless, pleasant kind of bloke, and very pleasant spoken.” “What’s he like?” I said.