The latter glanced through it
and shook his head.
"It's a plant," he announced. "I'm sorry if the use of my name has
misled you in any way, but it was quite unauthorised. I know nothing
whatever about the matter."
Hobson remained for a moment silent, silent with sick and angry
astonishment. Crawshay had glanced towards the clock and was standing
now with his finger upon the bell.
"Is it a big thing?" the Chicago man enquired.
"It's the biggest thing ever known in this country," Hobson groaned.
"It's what is known as the Number Three Berlin plant."
"You didn't get the stuff at Halifax, then?" Downs asked.
"We didn't," Hobson replied bitterly. "We've sent a representative
over to sit on the box with the broken seals till they can open it at
the Foreign Office in London, but I never believed they'd find
anything there. I'm damned certain they won't now!"
A waiter had answered the bell.
"Don't have our luggage brought up," Crawshay directed. "We are
leaving for New York to-night. That's so, isn't it, Hobson?" he added,
turning to his companion.
"You bet!" was the grim reply. "I'd give a thousand dollars to be
there now."
"The Limited's sold out," the man told them. "There are two or three
persons who've been disappointed, staying on here till to-morrow.
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