"I suppose he would."
"Of course he would. The blind theory won't do. But the incident is anadmirable starting-point for an investigation. After all, a bicycleis not an easy thing to conceal or to destroy. One other question. Didanyone call to see the boy on the day before he disappeared?"
"No."
"Did he get any letters?"
"Yes; one letter."
"From whom?"
"From his father."
"Do you open the boys' letters?"
"No."
"How do you know it was from the father?"
"The coat of arms was on the envelope, and it was addressed in theDuke's peculiar stiff hand. Besides, the Duke remembers having written."
"When had he a letter before that?"
"Not for several days."
"Had he ever one from France?"
"No; never.
"You see the point of my questions, of course. Either the boy wascarried off by force or he went of his own free will. In the latter caseyou would expect that some prompting from outside would be needed tomake so young a lad do such a thing. If he has had no visitors, thatprompting must have come in letters. Hence I try to find out who werehis correspondents."
"I fear I cannot help you much. His only correspondent, so far as Iknow, was his own father."
"Who wrote to him on the very day of his disappearance. Were therelations between father and son very friendly?"
"His Grace is never very friendly with anyone. He is completely immersedin large public questions, and is rather inaccessible to all ordinaryemotions. But he was always kind to the boy in his own way."
"But the sympathies of the latter were with the mother?"
"Yes."
"Did he say so?"
"No."
"The Duke, then?"
"Good heavens, no!"
"Then how could you know?"
"I have had some confidential talks with Mr. James Wilder, his Grace'ssecretary. It was he who gave me the information about Lord Saltire'sfeelings."
"I see. By the way, that last letter of the Duke's--was it found in theboy's room after he was gone?"
"No; he had taken it with him. I think, Mr. Holmes, it is time that wewere leaving for Euston."
"I will order a four-wheeler. In a quarter of an hour we shall be atyour service. If you are telegraphing home, Mr. Huxtable, it wouldbe well to allow the people in your neighbourhood to imagine thatthe inquiry is still going on in Liverpool, or wherever else that redherring led your pack. In the meantime I will do a little quiet work atyour own doors, and perhaps the scent is not so cold but that two oldhounds like Watson and myself may get a sniff of it."