David entered. "I just seized an opportunity--" he commenced eagerly, but Brett levelled his cigar at him as if it were a revolver. "You want to tell me," he cried, "that before you were two hours in Portsmouth you ascertained Frazer's address from an old friend. You caught the next train for London, went to his lodgings, encountered a nagging landlady, and found that your cousin had taken his overcoat to the pawnbroker's to raise money for his fair to Stowmarket You drove frantically to Liverpool Street, interviewed a smart platform inspector, and he told you--" "That all I had to do was to ask Brett, and he would not only give me a detailed history of my own actions, but produce the very man he sent me in search of," interrupted David, laughing. Nothing the barrister said or did could astonish him now. "What has upset you?" he went on. "I hope I made no mistakes." "None. Your conduct has been irreproachable. But you erred greatly in the choice of your parents. There are far too many Hume-Frazers in existence." "Please tell me what is the matter?" "Read those." Brett tossed the detective's telegrams across the table. Hume puzzled over them. "I think we ought to know who that fat man was," he said. "We do know. She is a fat woman, the ex-barmaid from Ipswich. Next time, they will send out the youthful Jiro in a perambulator." "But why are you so furious about it?" demanded Hume. "Was it so important to ascertain what she did during that hour and a quarter?" "Important! It is the only real clue given us since 'Rabbit Jack' saw a man like you standing motionless in the avenue." CHAPTER XVIII FURTHER COMPLICATIONS Brett devoted half an hour to Frazer's business affairs next morning. David was present, and the result of the conclave is shown by the following excerpt from a letter the barrister sent by them to Mrs. Capella, incidentally excusing his personal attendance at the Hall: "In my opinion, your cousin David and you should guarantee the payment of the land-tax on Mr. Frazer's estate--£650 per annum--for five years. You should give him a reasonable sum to rehabilitate his wardrobe and pay the few small debts he has contracted, besides allowing him a weekly stipend to enable him to live properly for another year. I will place him in touch with sound financial people, who will exploit his estate if they think the prospects are good, and you can co-operate in the scheme, if you are so advised by your solicitors, with whom the financiers I recommend will carry weight. Failing support in England, Mr. Frazer says he can make his own way in the Argentine if helped in the manner I suggest."