The detective controlled his features admirably.
"May I ask your reasons, sir ?" Mr.Sabin lightly shrugged his shoulders.
"I have never known the man to have a day's illness in his life," he said.

"Further, since his arrival in England he has been acting in a strange and furtive manner, and I gathered that he had some cause for fear which he was indisposed to talk about." "This," the detective said, "is very interesting." "Doubtless," Mr.Sabin answered.

"But before I say anything more I must clearly understand my position.

I am giving you personally a few friendly hints, in the interests of justice perhaps, but still quite informally.

I am not in possession of any definite facts concerning Duson, and what I say to you here I am not prepared to say at the inquest, before which I presume I may have to appear as a witness.
There, I shall do nothing more save identify Duson and state the circumstances under which I found him." "I understand that perfectly, sir," the man answered.