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1、FIRE-TONGUEFIRE-TONGUEBySaxRohmer1FIRE-TONGUECHAPTERIACLIENTFORPAULHARLEYSomeofPaulHarley'smostinterestingcaseswerebroughttohisnoticeinanalmostaccidentalway.AlthoughheclosedhisofficeinChanceryLanesharplyatthehourofsix,thehourofsixbynomeansmarkedtheendofhisbusinessday.Hisworkwaspra
2、cticallyceaseless.Butevenintimesofleisure,attheclubortheatre,fatewouldsometimescastinhispaththefirstslenderthreadwhichwasultimatelytoleadhimintosomeunsuspectedlabyrinth,perhapsintheunderworldofLondon,perhapsinacityoftheFarEast.Hisinvestigationofthecaseofthemanwiththeshavenskullaff
3、ordedaninstanceofthis,andevenmorenotablewashisfirstmeetingwithMajorJackRagstaffoftheCavalryClub,ameetingwhichtookplaceaftertheofficehadbeenclosed,butwhichledtotheunmaskingofperhapsthemostcunningmurdererintheannalsofcrime.Onesummer'seveningwhenthelittleclockuponhistablewasrapidlyap
4、proachingthemuch-desiredhour,HarleylaybackinhischairandstaredmeditativelyacrosshisprivateofficeinthedirectionofalargeandveryhandsomeBurmesecabinet,whichseemedstrangelyoutofplaceamidthefilingdrawers,bookshelves,andotherusualimpedimentaofaprofessionalman.Apeculiarlyuninterestingweek
5、wasdrawingtoaclose,andhewaswonderingifthisbetokenedadecreasedactivityinthehighercriminalcircles,orwhetheritwasmerelyoneofthoseusualquiescentperiodswhichcharacterizeeveryformofwarfare.PaulHarley,althoughthefactwasunknowntothegeneralpublic,occupiedsomethingofthepositionofanunofficia
6、lfieldmarshaloftheforcesarrayedagainstevildoers.Throughoutthewarhehadundertakenconfidentialworkofthehighestimportance,especiallyinregardtotheNearEast,withwhichhewasintimatelyacquainted.AmemberoftheEnglishbar,andthelastcourtofappealtowhichHomeOfficeandForeignOfficealikecameintroubl
7、edtimes,thebrassplateuponthedoor2FIRE-TONGUEofhisunassumingpremisesinChanceryLaneconveyedlittleornothingtotheuninitiated.Themanhimself,withhistropicalbronzeandairofeagervitality,musthavetoldthemostcarelessobserverthathestoodinthepresenceofanextraordinarypersonality.Hewasslightlygr
8、ayatthetemplesinthesedays,butyoun
