"I did hear, but I never took any particular notice." "Did you ever form any idea as to the nature of his work ?" Inspector Jacks asked.
"Bless you, no!" Mr.Coulson replied, brushing his hair vigorously.

"It never entered into my head to ask him, and I never heard him mention it.
I only know that he was a quiet-living, decent sort of a chap, but, as I put it to our young friend the newspaper man, he was a crank." The Inspector was disappointed.

He began to feel that he was wasting his time.
"Did you know anything of the object of his journey to Europe ?" he asked.
"Nary a thing," Mr.Coulson declared.

"He only came on deck once or twice, and he had scarcely a civil word even for me.

Why, I tell you, sir," Mr.Coulson continued, "if he saw me coming along on the promenade, he'd turn round and go the other way, for fear I'd ask him to come and have a drink.