to him deep, and extract ore of high
percentage--see if I don't."

"Do you know, Charles, I've a notion that we shall get closer to
bed-rock in London than here."

Furneaux pretended to look for an invisible halo surrounding his
chief's close-cropped bullet head.

"Sometimes," he said reverently, "you frighten me when you bring off a
brilliant remark like that. I seem to see lightning zigzagging round
Jove's dome."

Fenley returned.

"It was a call from the bank," he announced. "They have just seen the
newspapers. I told them I would run up to town this afternoon."

"Then you did not telephone Bishopsgate Street earlier?" inquired
Winter, permitting himself to be surprised.

"No. I had other things to bother me."

"Now, Mr. Fenley, can you tell me where your brother is?"

"I can not."

He placed a rather unnecessary emphasis on the negative. The question
seemed to disturb him. Evidently, if he could consult his own wishes,
he would prefer not to discuss his brother.

"I take it he has not been home since leaving here on Saturday?"
persisted Winter.

"That is so."

"Had he quarreled with your father?"

"There was a dispute. Really, Mr. Winter, I must decline to go into
family affairs."

"But the probability is that the more we know the less our knowledge
will affect your brother."

The door opened again. Mr. Winter was wanted on the telephone. Then
there happened one of those strange coincidences which Furneaux's
caustic wit had christened "Winter's Yorkers," being a quaint play on
the lines:

Now is the Winter of our discontent
Made glorious Summer by this sun of York.

For the Superintendent had scarcely squeezed his big body into the
telephone box when he became aware of a mixup on the line; a querulous
voice was saying:

"I insist on being put through. I am speaking from Mr. Fenley's bank,
and it is monstrous that I should be kept waiting. I've been trying
for twenty minutes----"

Buzz. The protest was squelched.

"Are you there?" came the calm accents of the Assistant Commissioner.

"Yes, sir," said Winter.

"Any progress?"

"A little. Oddly enough, you are in the nick of time to help
materially. Will you ring off, and find out from the exchange who
'phoned here two minutes ago? I don't mean Fenley's Bank, which is
just trying to get through. I want to know who made the preceding
call, which was effective."

"I understand. Good-by."

Winter explained in the