"Thome!" replied Mr. Goldmark, with a grin.
"And he knows Baseverie, too," continued Mapperley. "By sight, anyhow. So I got him--for a consideration--to watch for Baseverie's next appearance on that scene, and then, when he did come, to keep an eye on him--trick him, in fact. And Issy's seen him to-night, Mr. Hetherwick, and followed him. Then Issy came to me, and I brought him here."
"Good!" said Hetherwick. "Sit down, both of you, and I'll hear about it." He dropped into his own easy chair and again regarding the Jew decided that he was probably a creditable witness. "What do you do at Vivian's?" he asked. "Employed there?"
Mr. Goldmark glanced at Mapperley and smiled knowingly. Mapperley nodded.
"All confidential, Issy," he said reassuringly. "Going no further."
"Of course this is all confidential--and secret," remarked Hetherwick. "I only want to know the precise connection between Vivian's and Mr. Goldmark."
"It'th a thort of themi-official, mithter," answered the Jew. "The fact ith, I do a bit o' commith'on work for Vivian'th cuthtomerth, turf you know. Tho'--I'm in and out of an evening. Thee?"
"I see," said Hetherwick. "All right! And you know Baseverie?"
"Ath well ath I know my own nothe," replied Mr. Goldmark.
"Aint an idea, mithter--and noboody elthe that I knowth of! Liv'th on hith wit'th, I should thay, if you athk me. Wrong 'un!"
"No, mithter! All I knowth ith that he come'th to Vivian'th--now and then."
"I did, mithter--to-night ath ever wath!"
"About eight o'clock, mithter--near ath I can fix it."
"Thith, mithter. He came in about eight, ath I thay. I wath there, doing a bit o' bithneth with another cuthmur. Batheverie, he didn't thtop. He wathn't in the plathe three minuteth, and while he wath in he theemed--to me--to be a bit fidgety--thuthpithious, like. Looked round and about--cautiouth. Then he went--and I followed him. According to inthructionth from Mapperley there."
"Well, mithter, I'll give you the particularth--in full: when I theth out on a job o' that thort I do it proper. He turned out o' Candlethtick Pathage into the Lane, and he had a drink at a bar there. Then he went to Trafalgar Square Tube. I wath clothe behind him when he booked----"
"May jutht know me by thite, mithter, but not enough to exthite any thuthpithion in hith mind if he thaw me there behind him. I never had no truck with him--never thpoke to him."