Chapter 24

⁠​​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​⁠A barely furnished man’s room, comfortable, austere, scholarly. The refuge of a busy man, to judge by the piles of books and papers which littered the large open writing-table. There were despatch boxes turned upside down, a sea of parchment and foolscap. In the midst of it all a man deep in thought.

A visitor, entering with the freedom of an old acquaintance, laid his hand upon his shoulder and gr