The door was opened and Soames came in.
"There's a policeman out here," he said with his half smile, "for Uncle
Jolyon."
Old Jolyon looked at him angrily, and James said: "A policeman? I don't
know anything about a policeman. But I suppose you know something about
him," he added to old Jolyon with a look of suspicion: "I suppose you'd
better see him!"
In the hall an Inspector of Police stood stolidly regarding with
heavy-lidded pale-blue eyes the fine old English furniture picked up by
James at the famous Mavrojano sale in Portman Square. "You'll find my
brother in there," said James.
The Inspector raised his fingers respectfully to his peaked cap, and
entered the study.
James saw him go in with a strange sensation.
"Well," he said to Soames, "I suppose we must wait and see what he
wants. Your uncle's been here about the house!"
He returned with Soames into the dining-room, but could not rest.
"Now what does he want?" he murmured again.
"Who?" replied Soames: "the Inspector? They sent him round from Stanhope
Gate, that's all I know. That 'nonconformist' of Uncle Jolyon's has been
pilfering, I shouldn't wonder!"
But in spite of his calmness, he too was ill at ease.
At the end of ten minutes old Jolyon came in.
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