"I call myself a strong man," he said, "and I couldn't have believed that anything of the sort would have happened to me.""I shouldn't worry about it," the Prince said gently. "Go and see your doctor, if you like, but I have known many people, perfectly healthy, affected in the same way. I understood that you wished to have a word with me. Do you feel well enough to enter upon your business now, or would you prefer to make another appointment?""I am feeling quite well again, thank you," the Inspector said slowly. "If you could spare me a few minutes, I should be glad to explain the matter which brought me here."The Prince merely glanced at his servant, who bowed and glided noiselessly from the room. Then he drew an easy chair to the side of the couch where Mr. Jacks was still sitting.
"I am very much interested to meet you, Mr. Inspector Jacks," he remarked, with a glance at the card which he was still holding in his fingers. "I have studied very many of your English institutions during my stay over here with much interest, but it has not been my good fortune to have come into touch at all with your police system. Sir Goreham Briggs--your chief, Ibelieve--has invited me several times to Scotland Yard, and Ihave always meant to avail myself of his kindness. You come to me, perhaps, from him?"The Inspector shook his head.
"My business, Prince," he said, "is a little more personal."Prince Maiyo raised his eyebrows.
"Indeed?" he said. "Well, whatever it is, let us hear it. I trust that I have not unconsciously transgressed against your laws?"Inspector Jacks hesitated. After all, his was not so easy a task.
"Prince," he said, "my errand is not in any way a pleasant one, and I should be very sorry indeed to find myself in the position of bringing any annoyance upon a stranger and a gentleman who is so highly esteemed. At the same time there are certain duties in connection with my every-day life which I cannot ignore. In England, as I dare say you know, sir, the law is a great leveller. I have heard that it is not quite so in your country, but over here we all stand equal in its sight.""That is excellent," the Prince said. "Please believe, Mr.
Inspector Jacks, that I do not wish to stand for a single moment between you and your duty, whatever it may be. Let me hear just what you have to say, as though I were an ordinary dweller here.
While I am in England, at any rate," he added with a smile, "I am subject to your laws, and I do my best to obey them.""It has fallen to my lot," Inspector Jacks said, "to take charge of the investigations following upon the murder of a man named Hamilton Fynes, who was killed on his way from Liverpool to London about a fortnight ago."The Prince inclined his head.
"I believe," he said amiably, "that I remember hearing the matter spoken of. It was the foundation of a debate, I recollect, at a recent dinner party, as to the extraordinarily exaggerated value people in your country seem to claim for human life, as compared to us Orientals. But pray proceed, Mr. Inspector Jacks," the Prince continued courteously. "The investigation, I am sure, is in most able hands.""You are very kind, sir," said the Inspector. "I do my best, but I might admit to you that I have never found a case so difficult to grasp. Our methods perhaps are slow, but they are, in a sense, sure. We are building up our case, and we hope before long to secure the criminal, but it is not an easy task."The Prince bowed. This time he made no remark.
"The evidence which I have collected from various sources,"Inspector Jacks continued, "leads me to believe that the person who committed this murder was a foreigner.""What you call an alien," the Prince suggested. "There is much discussion, I gather, concerning their presence in this country nowadays.""The evidence which I possess," the detective proceeded, "points to the murderer belonging to the same nationality as Your Highness."The Prince raised his eyebrows.
"A Japanese?" he asked.
The Inspector assented.
