“It is open to you, now and always,” she said, still with difficulty. “I am at your service; we are all here at your service.” _We?_ I shivered in the thought of those viewless colleagues of hers. A vision of the cheery inn where we had quartered ourselves suddenly rose before me, before us all, I think, irresistibly attractive. It would be possible only in some such healthy commonplace to resolve upon reason and a course of action. Without another word, we turned and left the house. We must have walked half-a-mile, I believe, before any one of us spoke; and then it was Inspector Jannaway, answering a mute appeal of the lawyer’s eyes. “Mad, sir,” he said. “As mad as a hatter.” CHAPTER XXXI. A NOTABLE INTERLUDE It was evident that things had come to a deadlock between the two detectives. They could not work together, and they would not work apart. Mr Shapter was summoned at length to arbitrate between them. He found Valombroso bristling, and Jannaway conscience-calm. The Italian opened on him. “Signore, if I am to have an English colleague, it shall be other than this serene man. Yes, I will call him that for politeness.” “What is the matter with him, detective?” “The matter? Nothing is the matter. He enjoy the most perfect constitution in my experience. Nothing shall move or trouble him. I say to him ‘Suppose I think this Dalston somewheres in the neighbourhood?’ ‘Well, think it,’ he say. Again if I remark, ‘I believe of this letter that it is genuine,’ ‘You are quite welcome to your belief,’ he answer. Once more, ‘Suppose I decide it the good policy,’ I say, ‘to go and watch at the address which our man give for his wife in London?’ What is his reply? Why ‘Go along and watch yourself silly, if you like’--just that. But he will not come too; and so I shall refuse to go without him. He desire anything to put me wrong, so he may presently take to himself the credit when it arrive. We are baffled here at present, yes. We shall continue the same while this sort of thing shall last. But it shall not last. I say now at once, that, unless you give me the colleague I desire, I throw up the case. I cannot work at it any longer with a mule.” “And who is this suggested colleague, Valombroso? Is it Mr Holmes?” “Who else, signore? Am I not Valombroso?” Mr Shapter shrugged his shoulders. But he had _carte blanche_ from Johnny to employ whom he pleased; and expense was no consideration. “Well, have you any objection, Jannaway?” he asked resignedly. “None whatever, sir,” answered the inspector. “It won’t be the first time me and Mr Holmes have met over a case. He’s got the makings of a respectable detective in him, or used to have; and if he _should_ come to fail here, like Mr Valombroso, why, there’s still me to fall back upon for a forlorn hope.”