Quarles in appearance, yet I was struck by a certain characteristic
resemblance between them. They both had that annoying way of appearing to
mean more than they said, and of watering down their arguments to meet
the requirements of your inferior intellect.

I had become accustomed to it in Quarles, but in a stranger I should have
resented it had not the professor told me of the peculiarity beforehand,
and warned me not to be annoyed.

He gave us an excellent dinner, and our conversation for a time had
nothing to do with the mystery.

"Well, Mr. Quarles, have you brought this affair to a head?" Mr.
Delverton asked at last.

"I think so."

"Sufficiently to bring the criminal to book?"

"If not, I could hardly claim success, could I?"

"You might claim it," laughed Delverton, "but I should not be satisfied.
Possibly I have my own opinion, but I trust nothing I have said has
influenced you and led you to a wrong conclusion. I do not want you to
get me into trouble by saying that I suggested who the criminal was."

"Not if I could prove that the solution was correct?"

"That might be a different matter, of course."