"Yes, indeed; if you like, you can easily manage to meet him." I expressed my earnest desire, and Dr. Moore promised to arrange it so that we could meet some evening at the Club. "By the way," said my companion, "he is probably the best informed, all-round man you have ever met. He did not cease learning at college." "Lucky for him," I exclaimed laughingly. "Well, don't be surprised if he starts in to discuss law with you, and holds you up at your own profession; he is a surprise party, sometimes." "All right, but what is his business?" Moore looked at me, and said: "He is one of the most original detectives in the country." "Oh, a detective. Along what lines? He surely is no ordinary one at that business." "No. He used to work alone on unusual occurrences, but his success was so great that now he has a large number of subordinates who do the ordinary details, and he limits his work to the important points [Pg 17]on select cases. He is not heard of much, and is seen very little, but his work is in great demand." [Pg 17] I was interested, and asked if he had ever done any special work of prominence. "Yes," said Moore. "He solved the matter of the 'Red Rose of Trieste.' Do you remember hearing of that?" I exclaimed in amazement: "He! Is he the man who solved that affair? You must be mistaken. That occurred, or began, in Europe." "Exactly," said Moore. "Quintus Oakes works there, as well as here. He speaks German, French, Italian, and perhaps more languages, fluently, and can secure evidence anywhere. He has travelled over the world several times. One year he was away ten months on a case, and secured the necessary evidence for conviction in Sydney." "I see. He is something decidedly out of the ordinary, as his appearance suggests." "He is on a new case just now, and he has promised to let me go, if I want to. It's a very short affair, and perhaps I will take a vacation that way. I have not been away yet this year," continued Moore. [Pg 18] [Pg 18] We now parted for the evening, and as he started to go, I
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