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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Pond was the official in charge of the job. Just
now you are trying to prevent a letter being found. After a pause, Wotton added
abruptly:What is worrying you, Pond? You cant see the paradox in your own
remark.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But Sir Hubert Wotton was having no more for the
moment of Mr. It was curious you were able to corner Dyer like that, saidWotton. But
you can see me in my resplendent and fashionable evening-dress,if you
like.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I fear, said Pond, without taking his head out of
the fireplace,that its only just going to begin. It was while talking outside acaf�
with this second acquaintance, that Mr. Pond was the official in charge of the
job.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It has quite a festive sound, so near Christmas,
said Mr. Of course, theres notmuch in that; he might have a fountain-pen or a
pencil.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I may look like a pantaloon, he said, but this will
obviously bemore suitable to the Clown. It is comparatively little known, observed
Gahagan, that Pondactually is an oyster.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I tried to nail him to that piece of inconsequence;
and hecompletely eluded me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ialways noticed that the chief features in the
pantomime had nothingto do with the story. Nobody was there but you and Dyer when I
said I had phoned tostop all altered addresses. But you dontwant apologies or
compensations; you want the letter.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Perhaps I ought to have told youabout it before.
The fire pictures, like the cloud pictures, went on Mr.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I fancy many conspirators arereally chasing
themselves into corners like that. He is like the Clown in Shakespeare, went on
Gahagan withunchanged buoyancy. He builds up out of oysters the permanenttype or
image. Pond bowed gravely and swallowed another oyster.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But itwould do a great deal more than
that.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ialways noticed that the chief features in the
pantomime had nothingto do with the story. But he will agree that we are all bound
to showparticular care in this case. Nobody could have been surprised at Dyer
staring at the Clown. But where I was apriceless ass was when I looked at the
suspect instead of lookingat the detective. But I feel as if he had fallen out of
thesky like the snow.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I fancy many conspirators arereally chasing
themselves into corners like that. I tried to nail him to that piece of
inconsequence; and hecompletely eluded me. He came up through a trapdoor, I suppose
we must say, murmuredthe awestruck Mr.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Pond digested another oyster with an unobtrusive
gulp andcontinued: . </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>