"Ah!" said Ayscough, dropping into a chair. "We've been pretty busy, me and Mr. Rubinstein there--we've had what you might call a pretty full evening's work of it. Yes--it's true enough, gentlemen--another step in the ladder--another brick in the building! We're getting on, Mr. Purdie, we're getting on! So you've been round to our place?--they told you, there!" "They gave us a mere outline," answered Purdie. "Just the bare facts. I suppose you've heard nothing of the other Chinaman?" "Not a circumstance--as yet," said Ayscough. "But I'm in hopes--I've done a bit, I think, towards it--with Mr. Rubinstein's help, though he doesn't quite understand my methods. But you, gentlemen--I came in to hear if you'd anything to tell about Guyler. What did he think about what John Purvis had to tell us this afternoon?" "He wasn't surprised," answered Purdie. "Don't you remember that he assured us from the very start that diamonds would be found to be at the bottom of this. But he surprised us!" "Aye? How?" asked Ayscough. "Some news?" "Guyler swears that he saw Stephen Purvis this very morning," replied Purdie. "He's confident of it!" "Saw Stephen Purvis--this very morning!" exclaimed Ayscough. "Where, now?" "Guyler had business down in the City--in the far end of it," said Purdie. "He was crossing Bishopsgate when he saw Stephen Purvis--he swears it was Stephen Purvis!--nothing can shake him! He, Purvis, was just turning the corner into a narrow alley running out of the street. Guyler rushed after him--he'd disappeared. Guyler waited, watching that alley, he says, like a cat watches a mouse-hole--and all in vain. He watched for an hour--it was no good." "Pooh!" said Ayscough. "If it was Purvis, he'd walked straight through the alley and gone out at the other end." "No!" remarked Lauriston. "At least, not according to Guyler. Guyler says it was a long, narrow alley--Purvis couldn't have reached one end by the time he'd reached the other. He says--Guyler--that on each side of that alley there are suites of offices--he reckoned there were a few hundred separate offices in the lot, and that it would take him a week to make enquiry at the doors of each. But he's certain that Purvis disappeared into one block of them and dead certain that it was Stephen Purvis that he saw. So--Purvis is alive!" "Where's the other Purvis--the farmer?" asked Ayscough. "Stopping with Guyler at the Great Northern," answered Lauriston. "We've all four been down in the City, looking round, this evening. Guyler and John Purvis are going down again first thing in the morning. John Purvis, of course, is immensely relieved to know that Guyler's certain about his brother. I say!--do you know what Guyler's theory is about that diamond of Stephen's?" "No--and what might Mr. Guyler's theory be, now Mr. Lauriston?" enquired the detective. "There's such a lot of ingenious theories about that one may as well try to take in another. Mr. Rubinstein there is about weary of theories."