'The newspapers, Watson, are most valuable, if you only 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 founder of that great emporium was a brisk, crisp little person, very neat and quick, with a clear head and a ready tongue.

'Yes, sir, I have already read the story in the evening papers. Mr. Horace Harker is a customer of ours. We sold him the bust some months ago. We ordered three of the busts from Gelder & Co., of Stepney. They are all sold now.

Who did I sell them to? Oh, I can look in our sales book and very easily tell you. Yes, here we are. One 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 get a peep at 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 during Mr. Harding's evidence, and I could see that he was thoroughly satisfied by the way things were going. He made no remark, however, save that, unless we hurried, we would be late for our appointment with Lestrade.