Chapter
9
The Need of KnowledgeMR. CORBECK SEEMED to go almost off his head at the recovery of the lamps. He took them up one by one and looked them all over tenderly, as though they were things that he loved. In his delight and excitement he breathed so hard that it seemed almost like a cat purring. Sergeant Daw said quietly, his voice breaking the silence like a discord in a melody:
"Are you quite sure those lamps are the ones you had, and that were stolen?"
His answer was in an indignant tone: "Sure! Of course I'm sure. There isn't another set of lamps like these in the world!"
"So far as you know!" The Detective's words were smooth enough, but his manner was so exasperating that I was sure he had some motive in it; so I waited in silence. He went on:
"Of course there may be some
