CHAPTER I.
In his office at San Francisco, seated before a massive desk of polished redwood, very ornate, Lyman Derrick sat dictating letters to his typewriter, on a certain morning early in the spring of the year.
The subdued monotone of his voice proceeded evenly from sentence to sentence, regular, precise, businesslike.
"I have the honour to acknowledge herewith your favour of the 14th instant, and in reply would state----" "Please find enclosed draft upon New Orleans to be applied as per our understanding----" "In answer to your favour No.

1107, referring to the case of the City and County of San Francisco against Excelsior Warehouse & Storage Co., I would say----" His voice continued, expressionless, measured, distinct.

While he spoke, he swung slowly back and forth in his leather swivel chair, his elbows resting on the arms, his pop eyes fixed vaguely upon the calendar on the opposite wall, winking at intervals when he paused, searching for a word.
"That's all for the present," he said at length.
Without reply, the typewriter rose and withdrew, thrusting her pencil into the coil of her hair, closing the door behind her, softly, discreetly.
When she had gone, Lyman rose, stretching himself putting up three fingers to hide his yawn.

To further loosen his muscles, he took a couple of turns the length of he room, noting with satisfaction its fine appointments, the padded red carpet, the dull olive green tint of the walls, the few choice engravings--portraits of Marshall, Taney, Field, and a coloured lithograph--excellently done--of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado--the deep-seated leather chairs, the large and crowded bookcase (topped with a bust of James Lick, and a huge greenish globe), the waste basket of woven coloured grass, made by Navajo Indians, the massive silver inkstand on the desk, the elaborate filing cabinet, complete in every particular, and the shelves of tin boxes, padlocked, impressive, grave, bearing the names of clients, cases and estates.
He was between thirty-one and thirty-five years of age.

Unlike Harran, he resembled his mother, but he was much darker than Annie Derrick and his eyes were much fuller, the eyeball protruding, giving him a pop-eyed, foreign expression, quite unusual and unexpected.