wonder what M. de Talleyrand would have thought of these
cabbages and their zeal. Well, Mr Inspector,' he added aloud, 'so you've
finished off the matter nicely.'

'We have done our best, Dr Graham, sir.'

'And you don't know who killed the man?'

'No, sir, I don't; and what's more, I don't believe anybody ever will
know.'

'Humph, that's your opinion, is it? Do you read much, Mr Inspector?'

'A novel at times, sir. I'm fond of a good novel.'

'Then let me recommend to your attention the works of a French author,
by name Gaboriau. There's a man in them called Lecoq, who would have
found out the truth, Mr Inspector.'

'Fiction, Dr Graham, sir! Fiction.'

'True enough, Mr Inspector, but most fiction is founded on fact.'

'Well, sir,' said Tinkler, with a superior wise smile, 'I should like to
see our case in the hands of your Mr Lecoq.'

'So should I, Mr Inspector, or in the hands of Sherlock Holmes. Bless
me, Tinkler, they'd do almost as much as you have done. It is a pity
that you are not a character in fiction, Tinkler.'

'Why, sir? Why, may I ask?'

'Because your author might have touched you up in weak parts, and have
gifted you with some brains. Good-day, Mr Inspector.'

While Graham walked away chuckling at his banter of this red-tape
official, the official himself stood gasping like a fish out of the
water, and trying to realise the insult levelled at his dignity.
Jobson--a small man--sidled round to the front of him and made a comment
on the situation.

'It all comes of your not measuring them footmarks,' said Jobson. 'In
detective novels the clever fellows always do that, but you'd never be
put into a book, not you!'

'You'll be put into jail,' cried the outraged inspector.

'It's more than Jentham's murderer will if you've got the catching of
him,' said Jobson, and walked off.

CHAPTER XVII

A CLERICAL DETECTIVE

All this time Mr Michael Cargrim had not been idle. On hearing of the
murder, his thoughts had immediately centred themselves on the bishop.
To say that the chaplain was shocked is to express his feelings much too
mildly; he was horrified! thunderstruck! terrified! in fact, there was
no word in the English tongue strong enough to explain his superlative
state of mind. It was characteristic of the man's malignant nature that
he was fully prepared to believe in Dr Pendle's guilt without hearing
any evidence for or against this opinion. He was aware that Jentham had
been