Chapter XXXIII

Mr. Reynolds walked back up the steps of
the Council House of Witanbury. He felt as if
he had just had a pleasant glimpse of that Kingdom
of Romance which so many seek and so few find,
and that now he was returning into the everyday
world. Sure enough, when he reached the Council
Chamber, he found Dr. Haworth there with a prosaic-looking
person. This was evidently the man to whom
the Dean thought Anna would be more likely to reveal
the truth than to her kind, impulsive employer.

Mr. Reynolds had not expected to see so intelligent
and young-looking a man. He was familiar with the
type of German who has for long made his career
in England. But this naturalised German was not
true to type at all! Though probably over fifty, he
still had an alert, active figure, and he was extraordinarily
like someone Mr. Reynolds had seen. In
fact, for a few moments the likeness quite haunted
him. Who on earth could it be that this man so
strongly resembled? But soon he gave up the likeness
as a bad job -- it didn't matter, after all!

"Well, Mr. Head, I expect that Dr. Haworth has
already told you what it is we hope from you."

"Yes, sir, I think I understand."

"Are you an American?" asked the other abruptly.

The Witanbury City Councillor looked slightly embarrassed.
"No," he said at last. "But I was in the
United States for some years."

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v?