Thered-facedshopmanregardedhimwithaneyeofmenace;buthecontinuedgaily, swinginghiscane,"Why,"hepursued,"whyaretwoticketswronglyplacedinagreengrocer'sshoplikeashovelhatthathascometoLondonforaholiday?Or, incaseIdonotmakemyselfclear, whatisthemysticalassociationwhichconnectstheideaofnutsmarkedasorangeswiththeideaoftwoclergymen, onetallandtheothershort?"
Theeyesofthetradesmanstoodoutofhisheadlikeasnail's;,"Idon'tknowwhatyouhavetodowithit, butifyou'reoneoftheirfriends, youcantellthemfrommethatI'llknocktheirsillyheadsoff, parsonsornoparsons, iftheyupsetmyapplesagain."
"Indeed?"askedthedetective, withgreatsympathy."Didtheyupsetyourapples?"
"Oneofthemdid,"saidtheheatedshopman,"rolledthemalloverthestreet.I'dhavecaughtthefoolbutforhavingtopickthemup."
"Whichwaydidtheseparsonsgo?"askedValentin.
"Upthatsecondroadontheleft-handside, andthenacrossthesquare,"saidtheotherpromptly.
"Thanks,"repliedValentin, , andsaid,"Thisisurgent, constable, haveyouseentwoclergymeninshovelhats?"
Thepolicemanbegantochuckleheavily."Ihave, sir;andifyouaskme, ...
"Whichwaydidtheygo?"snappedValentin.
"Theytookoneofyellowbusesoverthere,"answeredtheman,"themthatgotoHampstead."
Valentinproducedhisofficialcardandsaidveryrapidly,"Calluptwoofyourmentocomewithmeinpursuit,".
"Well, sir,"begantheformer, withsmilingimportance,"andwhatmay..."
Valentinpointedsuddenlywithhiscane."I'lltellyouonthetopofthatomnibus,"hesaid, , theinspectorsaid,"Wecouldgotentimesasquickinataxi."
