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144 to speak. You might say that's curious." He pointed to a page on which, in a large, blank space, appeared the one letter, "N".

Reggie leapt from the window-seat and rang the bell. "As ever the Superintendent touches the spot," he laughed. Herbert Charlecote's man-servant, pallid and frightened, answered the bell. "Now, my man, in one minute Dr. Newton will be at the door; you will let him in; he will ask for Mr. Herbert Charlecote; you will say nothing to him, nothing at all, and Superintendent Bell will be out in the hall to see that you do say nothing; you will show Dr. Newton in here. Go on, Bell. Look after him." He bustled them out.

"So 'N' stands for Newton, does it?" Lomas said. "How do you know he'll come?"

"Because he's just driven up in his car. Because I 'phoned to say Mr. Herbert Charlecote was asking for Dr. Newton. Now you get in there." He thrust Lomas into an inner room.

Dr. Newton, more florid than ever, hurried in, and pulled up short at the sight of Reggie. "Mr. Fortune? Oh, delighted to meet you." He was out of breath. "But I thought I was to see Mr. Charlecote."

"Did you though? That was very sanguine of you."