But I don't mind admitting quite privately that it's been a positive regret to me that he has gone." "Made too good 'copy' to lose, I suppose ?" suggested Jimmie Dale quizzically.

"Too bad, too, after working up a theatrical name like that for him--the Gray Seal--rather unique! Who stuck that on him--you ?" Carruthers laughed--then, grown serious, leaned toward Jimmie Dale.
"You don't mean to say, Jimmie, that you don't know about that, do you ?" he asked incredulously.

"Why, up to a year ago the papers were full of him." "I never read your beastly agony columns," said Jimmie Dale, with a cheery grin.
"Well," said Carruthers, "you must have skipped everything but the stock reports then." "Granted," said Jimmie Dale.

"So go on, Carruthers, and tell me about him--I dare say I may have heard of him, since you are so distressed about it, but my memory isn't good enough to contradict anything you may have to say about the estimable gentleman, so you're safe." Carruthers reverted to the Limoges saucer and the tip of his cigar.
"He was the most puzzling, bewildering, delightful crook in the annals of crime," said Carruthers reminiscently, after a moment's silence.
"Jimmie, he was the king-pin of them all.

Clever isn't the word for him, or dare-devil isn't either.