'Newspapers are very useful, Watson, if you know how to use them. And now, if you have finished your meal, we will go back to Kensington. There we will see what the manager of Harding Brothers has to say.' The person in charge of that great emporium was a busy, precise little person, very neat and quick, who thought and talked quickly and clearly.

'Yes, sir, I have already read the story of the murder in the evening papers. Mr. Horace Harker is one of our customers. We sold him the bust a few months ago. We ordered three of the busts from Gelder & Co., of Stepney.

They have all been sold now. Who did I sell them to? Oh, I can look in our sales book and tell you very easily. Yes, here we are. One was sold to Mr. Harker, and one to Mr. Josiah Brown, of Laburnum Lodge, Laburnum Vale, Chiswick, and one to Mr. Sandeford, of Lower Grove Road, in Reading. No, I have never seen this face which you show me in the photograph. I wouldn't forget it, because it's one of the ugliest faces I've ever seen. Have we any Italians on the staff? Yes, sir, we have several among our workpeople and cleaners. Yes, they might be able to see that sales book if they wanted to. There is nothing particularly secret about what is in that book. Well, well, it's a very mysterious affair, and I hope that you will let me know what you discover.'

Holmes had taken several notes while Mr. Harding was talking. I could see that he was very pleased by the way things were going. But all he said to me was that unless we hurried, we would be late for our appointment with Lestrade.