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The silence remained unbroken for some time after Triffitt had finished. And eventually Markledew got up from his elbow-chair and reached for his hat. "You can come with me," he said. "We'll just ride as far as New Scotland Yard." Triffitt felt himself turning pale. New Scotland Yard! Was he then to share his discoveries with officials?
When he was eventually called in, he found not only the high official and Markledew, but another man whose name was presently given to him as Davidge. "Mr. Davidge," observed the high official, "is in charge of this case. Will you just tell him your story?" It appeared to Triffitt that Mr. Davidge was the least impressionable, most stolid man he had ever known.
I don't see so far into all this, myself, but Markledew's the sort of chap who can look through three brick walls and see a mole at work in whatever's behind the third, and he'll see something in what I tell him, and I'll do the telling as soon as he comes down tomorrow morning." Markledew listened to Triffitt's story next day in his usual rapt silence.
Halfpenny's office. Even Markledew was not so keen about the Herapath affair as he had been. His policy was a new day, a new affair. The Herapath mystery was becoming a little stale it would get staler unless a fresh and startling development took place.
A shiver shot through Triffitt's spine and went out of his toes with a final sting. "Mr. Markledew wants Mr. Triffitt!" Two or three other junior reporters who were scribbling in the room glanced at Triffitt as he leapt to obey the summons. They hastened to make kindly comments on this unheard-of episode in the day's dull routine. "Pale as a fair young bride!" sighed one.
If anybody ever did manage to approach Markledew, it was always with fear and trembling.
"Buck up, Triff! he won't eat you." "I hear your knees knocking together, Triff," said another. "Brace yourself!" "Markledew," observed a third, "has decided to lay down the sceptre and to instal Triff in the chair of rule. Ave, Triffitt, Imperator! be merciful to the rest of us." Triffitt consigned them to the nether regions and hurried to the presence.
The confidential secretary took another look at Triffitt, and allowed himself to be reluctantly convinced of his earnestness. "All right!" he said. "I'll shove it under his nose when he comes in at four o'clock." Triffitt went back to his work, excited, yet elated. It was no easy job to get speech of Markledew. Markledew, as everybody in Fleet Street knew, was a man in ten thousand.
In spite of his awful veneration for the great man before him he could not prevent two words of despairing ejaculation escaping from his lips. "The police!" "Just so the police," answered Markledew, calmly. "I mean to work this in connection with them. No need to alarm yourself, young man I know what you're thinking. But you won't lose any 'kudos' I'm quite satisfied with you so far.
Then, indeed, the detective had roused himself almost to eagerness, and now he was coming to see him, Triffitt, quietly and unobtrusively. Why? "All the same," mused Triffitt, "I shall maybe prove a small cog in the bigger mechanism, and that's something. And Markledew was satisfied, anyway, so far. And if I don't get something out of that chap Davidge tonight, write me down an ass!"
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