to do something great - and his triumph is lost."

Horn looked up at his superior, whom, in spite of his good nature,
he knew to be a sharp, keen, capable police official. "I forgot
you have known Muller longer than the rest of us," he said. "What
was that you said about his heart?"

"I said that it is one of those inconvenient hearts that will always
make itself noticeable at the wrong time. Muller's heart has played
several tricks on the police department, which has, at other times,
profited so well by his genius. He is a strange mixture. While he
is on the trail of the criminal he is like the bloodhound. He does
not seem to know fatigue nor hunger; his whole being is absorbed by
the excitement of the chase. He has done many a brilliant service
to the cause of justice, he has discovered the guilt, or the
innocence, of many in cases where the official department was as
blind as Justice is proverbially supposed to be. Joseph Muller has
become the idol of all who are engaged in this weary business of
hunting down wrong and punishing crime. He is without a peer in his
profession. But he has also become the idol of some of the criminals.
For if he discovers (as sometimes happens) that the criminal is a
good sort after all, he is just as likely to warn his prey, once he
has all proofs of the guilt and a conviction is certain. Possibly
this is his way of taking the sting from his irresistible impulse to
ferret out hidden mysteries. But it is rather inconvenient, and he
has hurt himself by it - hurt himself badly. They were tired of his
peculiarities at the capital, and wanted to make his years an excuse
to discharge him. I happened to get wind of it, and it was my
weakness for him that saved him."