"He is much too useful to be locked up"...
"But"...
"But yes, my dear Inspector--he is safe; oh! he is quite safe. And on
Tuesday night he is going to introduce us to Mr. King!"
"MR. KING!" roared Dunbar; and in three strides of the long legs he was
around the table and standing before the Frenchman.
In passing he swept Sowerby's hat on to the floor, and Sowerby, picking
it up, began mechanically to brush it with his left sleeve, smoking
furiously the while.
"Soames," continued M. Max, quietly--"he is now known as Lucas, by the
way--is a man of very remarkable character; a fact indicated by his
quite unusual skull. He has no more will than this cigar"--he held
the cigar up between his fingers, illustratively--"but of stupid pig
obstinacy, that canaille--saligaud!--has enough for all the cattle in
Europe! He is like a man who knows that he stands upon a sinking ship,
yet, who whilst promising to take the plunge every moment, hesitates and
will continue to hesitate until someone pushes him in. Pardieu! I
push! Because of his pig obstinacy I am compelled to take risks most
unnecessary. He will not consent, that Soames, to open the door for
us..."
"What door?" snapped Dunbar.
"The door of the establishment of Mr. King," explained Max, blandly.
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