第52章名画失窃案（3）
Withallelsethatwasknown，andthislittleadditionalinformation，whichseemedofnoparticularvaluetothereporter，theeerwaslaidbeforeTheThinkidistinguishedmanlistenedfrombegihoutent。
"Whohada?"heaskedfinally。
"Thatisonnow，"ly。"Thereareacoupleofdozesinthehouse，andIsuppose，inspiteofKale&#idorders，therewasalaxityintheire;
"Ofcoursethatmakesitmoredifficult，"saidTheThinkiheperpetuallyirritatedvoicewhichwassodistinctlyapartofhimself。"PerhapsitwouldbebestfotoMr。Kale'shomeandpersoe。"
Kalereceivedthemwiththereservewhichallrishowinthepreseivesofthepress。Hestaredfranklyacuriouslyatthediminutivefigureofthestist，whoexplaioftheirvisit。
"Iguessyoufellows'tdoanythingwiththis，"themillionaireassuredthem。"I'vegulardeteit。"
"IsMr。Malloryherenow?"asked"TheThinki;curtly。
"Yes，heisupstairsis'quarters。"
"Mayweseetheroomfromwhichthepicturewastaken?"ihestist，withasuaveintonationwhichHatewwell。
&edthepermissionwithawaveofthehand，ahemintotheballroom，wherethepictureshadbeeherelativeterofthisroomTheThinkingMaesurveyeditall。Theerehigh。Halfadoutintothehallways，totheservatory，anooksofthemansionofferedinnumerablepossibilitiesofaccess。Afterthisonelongprehe，TheThinkioveraheframefromwhichtheRube。Ftimeheexami。Kale'simpatienceai。Fiistturohim。
"HowwelldoyouknowM。deLesseps?"heasked。
"I'veknownhimforonlyamonthorso。Why?"
"Didhebriersofintrodu，ordidyoumeethimmerelycasually?"
Kaleregardedhimwithevidentdispleasure。"Myownpersonalaffairshavenothiodowiththismatter，"hesaidpointedly。"Mr。deLessepsisagentlemay，aaihelastwhomIwouldsuspeywiththedisappearaure。"
"ThatisusuallythearkedTheThinkily。Heturch。"JusthoywasthathemadeoftheWhistlerpicture?"heasked。
"Ihaveheinal，"Hatchreplied;"buttheerb。PerhapsMr。Kalewouldn'tobjecttousseeing—"
"Oh，ofot，"saidKaleresignedly。"ein;it'sinthegallery。"
Hatchsubmittedthepicturetoacarefulsy。"Ishouldsaythatthecopyiswell;washisverdict。"Ofitsabsence，I'tsayexactly;butitislyasuperbwork。"
&ainsofawidedooralmostinfrohrownasidesuddenly，aiveMalloryentered。Heethinginhishand，butatthesightofthemcealeditbehindhim。Uriumphwasinhisface。
"Ah，professor，wemeetoften;don'twe?"hesaid。
"ThisreporterhereandhisfrieryingtdeLessepsintothisaffairsomehow，"Kaleplaiive。"Idon'twantanythiohappen。Heisliabletogooutandprintanything。Theyalwaysdo。"
&hinkingMaeglaredathimunwaveringly，straightintheeyeforaninstaendedhishandtowardMallory。"Wheredidyoufindit?"heasked。
"Sorrytodisappointyou，professor，"saidthedetectivesarcastically，"butthisisthetimewhelelate，"andheproducedtheobjectwhichheheldbehindhim。"Hereisyourpicture，Mr。Kale。"
Kalegaspedalittleio，ahevaswithbothha。"Fi;hetoldthedetective。"I'llseethatyoudon'tloseanythingbythis。Why，thatthihousanddollars!"Kaledidn'tseemabletogetoverthat。
&hinkingMaedforwardtosquintattheupperrighthahevas。"Wheredidyoufindit?"heaskedagain。
"Rolleduptight，ahebottomofatrunkintheroomofos，"explainedMallory。"Theservant'snameisJennings。Heis。"
"Jennings!"exclaimedKale。"Why，hehasbeenwithmeforyears。"
"Didhefess?"askedthestistimperturbably。
"Ofot，"saidMallory。"Hesayssomeoftheotherservantsmusthavehidde;
&hinkingMaoddedatHatch。"Ithihatisall，"heremarked。"Igratulateyou，Mr。Mallory，upthemattertosuchaquidsatisfa。"
&eslatertheyleftthehouseandcaughtacarforthestist'shome。Hatchwasalittleedattheuerminationoftheaffair，andwasthoughtfullysilentforatime。