"Mallorydoesshowanoccasionalgleamofhumanintelligence; doesn' the? " hesaidatlastquizzically.
"NotthatIevernoticed, " remarkedTheThinkingMachinecrustily.
"Buthefoundthepicture, " Hatchinsisted.
"."
"Putthereforhimtofind!" repeatedthereporter."Didn' tJenningsstealit? "
"Ifhedid, he' safool."
"Well, ifhedidn' tstealit, whoputitthere? "
"DeLesseps."
"DeLesseps!" echoedHatch."Whythedeucedidhestealafiftythousand-dollarpictureandputitinaservant' strunktobefound? "
TheThinkingMachinetwistedaroundinhisseatandsquintedathimcoldlyforamoment."Attimes, , Iamabsolutelyamazedatyourstupidity, " hesaidfrankly."IcanunderstanditinamanlikeMallory, butIhavealwaysgivenyoucreditforbeinganastute, quick-wittedman."
' sapartments.
"Theonlyrealquestioninmymind, , " saidthescientistthen, "' , —"
SuddenlyHatchsawsomething."GreatScott!" heexclaimed."DoyoumeanthatthepicturethatMalloryfoundwas—"
"Acopyoftheoriginal, " supplementedthescientist."PersonallyIknownothingwhateveraboutart; therefore, Icouldnotsayfromobservationthatitisacopy, , ."
"AnddeLessepshastheoriginal? "
"? ' , asImustwhenwereviewthewholecase.
"Forinstance, heaskedforpermissiontocopytheWhistler, , , , whatwouldhavebeensimplerthantohavecopiedtheRubensinoil? Hecouldhaveremoveditfromtheframeimmediatelyafterhecanvaseditover, , thepictureisworthfiftythousanddollars; therefore, wasworththetrouble.
"DeLessepsisanartist—weknowthat—anddealingwithamanwhoknewnothingwhateverofart, ' tknowthedifference, ' , perhaps, ; ' strunkIdon' ." Helaybackinhischairforaminutewithoutspeaking, eyessteadilyturnedupward, fingersplacedpreciselytiptotip.
"' roomnow—youtoldmethat—."
"ButhowdidhetakethepicturefromtheKalehome? " askedHatch.
", " wastheastonishingreply.
, .
DeLessepswasinwhentheircardswentup, , whilethescientist' .
"ItisDetectiveMallory, , " remarkedTheThinkingMachine."Openthedoorforhim."
DeLessepsseemedstartledforjustoneinstant, ' seyeswerefullofquestionswhenheentered.
"Ishouldlike, , " beganTheThinkingMachinequietly, "' spicturebyWhistler—' titexcellent? Youhaveseentheoriginal? "
