“I see the main outlines of the affair easily enough, Clinton,” he said, “but I'd like to hear just how you worked it out as you went along. Any objections to telling me? It'll go no farther, of course.” The chief constable's face betrayed a tinge of boredom. “You've lived with this case for the best part of a week. Haven't you had enough of it by this time?” Wendover persisted in his demand; but Sir Clinton, instead of complying, glanced at his watch. “There's one detective story I'm very fond of, squire: _The Hunting of the Snark_. I rank it high in the scale, especially on account of the number of apt quotations one can make from it. Here's one: The method employed I would gladly explain While I have it so clear in my head, If I had but the time and you had but the brain— But much yet remains to be said. It's far too late to start a long story to-night. I'm dead sleepy. If you remind me about it to-morrow, I'll do my best; but I will not sit up all night even to please you.” The inspector seemed as much disappointed as Wendover at his superior's decision. “I'd like to hear it too, sir, if you don't mind.” Sir Clinton suppressed a yawn with difficulty. “I don't mind, inspector. Meet us at Neptune's Seat at eleven o'clock to-morrow morning. It'll be interesting to hear how far wrong I've gone in some of my guesses; and you can tell me that, since you've got so much out of these two precious scoundrels to-night. And now I'll drive you into Lynden Sands—save you the trudge. After that I really must get to bed.” Chapter XVII The Threads in the Case “This hasn't been a tidy case, in the strict meaning of the words,” Sir Clinton mused, as he chose a comfortable spot on Neptune's Seat and settled down on it. “It's really an _omnium gatherum_. It began long before we appeared on the scene; and the inspector has the facts about the earlier stages, whilst I've nothing better than guesswork.” “What we're interested in, chiefly, is what you thought about it at different stages in the game,” Wendover pointed out. “If you start with the Peter Hay case and go on from there, you can tell us what you saw and what we missed. And at the tail end you can give us your guesses about the earlier stage. The inspector can check them from the confessions he got.” Sir Clinton agreed with a gesture, and began without more ado. It was evident that he was by no means eager to recapitulate, and was doing so merely out of good nature.