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the outer room.

"I will see no one this morning, Maunders," said Mr. Jarvice as he
pressed through.

"Very well, sir. There are a good number of letters," replied the clerk.

"They must wait," said Mr. Jarvice, and entering his private room he shut
the door. He did not touch the letters upon his table, but he went
straight to his bureau, and unlocking a drawer, took from it a copy of
the Code Napoleon. He studied the document carefully, locked it up again
and looked at his watch. It was getting on toward one o'clock. He rang
the bell for his clerk.

"Maunders," he said, "I once asked you to make some inquiries about a
young man called Walter Hine."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you remember what his habits were? Where he lunched, for instance?"

Maunders reflected for a moment.

"It's a little while ago, sir, since I made the inquiries. As far as I
remember, he did not lunch regularly anywhere. But he went to the
American Bar of the Criterion restaurant most days for a morning drink
about one."

"Oh, he did? You made his acquaintance, of course?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, you might find him this morning, give him some lunch, and bring
him round to see me at three. See that he is sober."


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