ssionless countenance of a well-trained servant
upon me; and repeated:--

"Mr. Brake is not at home. I know nothing further about Mr. Brake's
movements."

This reply settled the matter in my own mind, and I made my way to
Stock Street as fast as I might. I could not make it seem unnecessary
to see Brake. But Helen--Helen-- The sooner this wretched detention
was over, the sooner to see her. I had begun to be as nervous as a
woman; and, I might add, as unreasonable as a sick one. I had got
myself under the domination of one of those fixed ideas with which I
had so little patience in the sick. I could not see Helen till I had
seen Brake: this was the delusion. I succumbed to it, and knew that I
succumbed to it, and could not help it, and knew that I could not help
it, and did the deed it bade me. As I hurried on my way, I thought:--

"There has been considerable concussion. But Helen will take care of
me. It's a pity I spoke so to Helen."

Stock Street, when I reached it, had a strange look to me. I was not
used to being there at such an hour; few of us are. The relative
silence, the few passers, the long empty spaces in the great
thoroughfare, told me that the hour was later than I thought. This
added to my restlessness, and I sought to look at my watch, for the
first time since the accident; it was gone. I glanced at the high
clock at the head of the street; but the light was imperfect, and with
the vertigo which I had I did not make out the hour. It might, indeed,
be really late. This troubled me, and I hastened my steps till I broke
into a run.

It occurred to me, indeed, that I might be arrested for the suspicions
under which such a pace, at such an hour and in such a street, would
place me. But as I knew most of the members of the force in that
region more or less well, this did not trouble me. I ran on,
undisturbed, passing a watchman or two, and came quickly to Brake's
place. It was locked.

This distressed me. I think I had confidently expected to find him
there. It did not seem to me possible to go home without seeing my
broker. I stood, uncertain, rattling at the heavy door with imbecile
impatience. This act brought the police to the spot in three minutes.

It was Inspector Drayton who came up, the well-known inspector, so long
on duty in Stock Street; a man famed for his professional shrewdness
and his gentlemanly manner.

"I wish," I said, "Mr. Inspector, that you would be goo