“Clifford,” said the Commissioner briskly, his lean, Scotch-Irish face alive with purpose, “I’m going to lay all my cards, face up, on the table. I asked you to meet me down here, instead of uptown, for the sake of the effect on you. That’s why I made you wait, and asked you to visit about. I wanted you to feel the old tug of Headquarters.” “I guess I’ve felt it all right, Chief.” “That’s good. Clifford, six months ago I asked you to become Second Deputy Commissioner. For your own reasons you refused. I hope you’ve changed your mind, for I’m now again asking you to take the place.” To be Second Deputy Chief of New York’s Detective Bureau!--Clifford felt a leaping thrill--a swift reaction from the heaviness and bitterness which had been upon him since his scene with Mary Regan. He considered for a moment. The controlling reason for his previous declination, his knowledge that Mary Regan would refuse him if he continued official police work because she believed she would interfere with his career--this reason Mary Regan herself had just wiped out. He had lost enough because of her. Here was big work to do. Here was a big career. Clifford looked up. “I accept, Chief,” he said with an energy almost fierce. “And I’m glad and proud to accept. And I’ll give the job the best that’s in me.” “Bully for you!” cried Thorne, seizing his hand. There was a minute’s further exchange of thanks and congratulations. Then Thorne continued: “There’s a particular situation I want you to take care of. I believe in the need of pleasure as much as any man. But the providing of pleasure in this city has become a vast business. I’m not referring to the theaters; I’m thinking of the restaurants, roof-gardens, dancing places, things like that--high and low. And I’m thinking especially of the swellest places, and of some of the presumably most respectable places. These establishments have bred a new variety of specialists, astute men, astute women, who entangle and victimize the pleasure-seekers. Especially since women began to go about so freely to the dancing places, and it became so easy to make acquaintances, there have developed such opportunities--God, if the public only guessed a tenth of what is dribbling in to us!--and even we never get rumors of a tenth of what actually happens. But you know this situation better than I do.” “I’ve had to learn something about it,” said Clifford. “I want the facts. I want the situation cleaned out. You’ve got a free hand--use as many men as you like--follow your own plans.” “I’ll be on the job at once,” said Clifford. “Good stuff!” cried Thome enthusiastically. “And if you succeed--and I know you will--it will be a big thing for the Department, a big thing for me, and we’ll try to make it a big thing for you!”