You have been misinformed. I
find I am getting drowsy--this thing is not as absorbing as I had
thought it would be. With your permission I'll drop off to sleep; you're
welcome to continue the search. Make yourselves perfectly at home,
sirs." He lay back and drew up the sheet. "Just pull the door shut when
you depart, please," he said, and closed his eyes.
"You're a queer chap," remarked Sparrow, pausing in his search and
surveying Harleston with a puzzled smile. "One would suppose you're used
to receiving interruptions at such hours for such purposes."
"I try never to be surprised at anything however _outre_," Harleston
explained. "Good-night."
The two men looked at the recumbent figure and then at each other and
laughed.
"He acts the part," said the elder. "Have you found anything?"
"Nothing! It's not in the safe nor the writing-table--nor anywhere else
that is reasonable. I've been through everything and there's nothing
doing."
"You're not going?" Harleston remarked.
"You're asleep, Mr. Harleston!" Marston reminded. "The letter is here:
we've simply got to find it."
"A letter is easy to conceal," the younger replied. "There's nothing but
to overturn everything in the place--and so on; and that will require a
day.
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