The shipowner smiled. "That's the talk I like. Make a policy and set the
buzzer going. Now see here...."

At the end of half an hour he had established a link of easy friendship,
and had brought the conversation round without difficulty to the matter
which was the real object of the interview.

"Dean was telling me about the help you gave him on his wild-goose chase
to-day. Many thanks. He's a steady young fellow and will get on--but a
little too ready to jump at conclusions. Of course you found nothing at
the hospital?"

On the answer much depended, but no one could have guessed it from the
shipowner's face, which was smilingly confident.

"Nothing doing!" answered Martin. "Our young friend with the cracked
skull met the holy Tartar last night. He's raving sore--wants to
prosecute him for assault, if he can find out who he is."

"Exactly. But there's a disappointment in store for him. I met my friend
to-day going off to Canada. What are you going to do about the coat and
stick at Neuilly?"

"Hunt around for a few more clues before turning it over to the police."
There was a tired disappointment in the journalist's voice that Lars
Larssen noted with keen satisfaction. "I doubt if the police'll do much
unless the relations kick up a shindy. Paris is the finest place in
Europe to get murdered in peacefully and without a lot of silly fuss.
You see, it might be a hoax. Your Parisian hoaxer likes a dash of Grand
Guignol horrors in his jokelet. The police have been had several times,