ye. "Yes--merely a new method," he continued. "The question
is--will it achieve its object?"

"What's the object?" asked Breton.

Spargo fished out a box of cigarettes from an untidy drawer, pushed it
over to his visitor, helped himself, and tilting back his chair, put
his feet on his desk.

"The object?" he said, drily. "Oh, well, the object is the ultimate
detection of the murderer."

"You're after that?"

"I'm after that--just that."

"And not--not simply out to make effective news?"

"I'm out to find the murderer of John Marbury," said Spargo
deliberately slow in his speech. "And I'll find him."

"Well, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of clues, so far,"
remarked Breton. "I see--nothing. Do you?"

Spargo sent a spiral of scented smoke into the air.

"I want to know an awful lot," he said. "I'm hungering for news. I want
to know who John Marbury is. I want to know what he did with himself
between the time when he walked out of the Anglo-Orient Hotel, alive
and well, and the time when he was found in Middle Temple Lane, with
his skull beaten in and dead. I want to know where he got that scrap of
paper. Above everything, Breton, I want to know what he'd got to do
with you!"

He gave the young barrister a keen look, and Breton nodded.

"Yes," he said. "I confess that's a corker. But I think----"

"Well?" said Spargo.

"I think he may have been a man who had some legal business in hand, or
in prospect, and had been recommended to--me," said Breton.

Spargo smiled--a little sardonically.

"That's good!" he said. "You had your very first brief--yesterday.
Come--your fame isn't blown abroad through all the heights yet, my
friend! Besides--don't intending clients approach--isn't it strict
etiquette for them to approach?--barristers through solicitors?"

"Quite right--in both your remarks," replied Breton, good-humouredly.
"Of course, I'm not known a bit, but all the same I've known several
cases where a barrister has been approached in the first instance and
asked to recommend a solicitor. Somebody who wanted to do me a good
turn may have given this man my address."

"Possible," said Spargo. "But he wouldn't have come to consult you at
midnight. Breton!--the more I think of it, the more I'm certain there's
a tremendous mystery in this affair! That's why I got the chief to let
me write it up as I have done--here. I'm hoping that this
photograph--though to be sure, it's of a dead face--and this f