I resolved to begin with Mr. Gibbes, and, finishing my coffee, I got
again into a hansom, and drove back to the Temple. I found Bentham
Gibbes in his room, and after greeting me, his first inquiry was about
the case.
'How are you getting on?' he asked.
'I think I'm getting on fairly well,' I replied, 'and expect to finish
in a day or two, if you will kindly tell me the story of the silver
spoons.'
'The silver spoons?' he echoed, quite evidently not understanding me.
'There happened an incident in which two men were engaged, and this
incident related to a pair of silver spoons. I want to get the
particulars of that.' 'I haven't the slightest idea what you are
talking about,' replied Gibbes, thoroughly bewildered. 'You will need
to be more definite, I fear, if you are to get any help from me.'
'I cannot be more definite, because I have already told you all I
know.'
'What bearing has all this on our own case?'
'I was informed that if I got hold of the clue of the silver spoons I
should be in a fair way of settling our case.'
'Who told you that?'
'Mr. Lionel Dacre.'
'Oh, does Dacre refer to his own conjuring?'
'I don't know, I'm sure. What was his conjuring?'
'A very clever trick he did one night at dinner here about two months
ago.
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