"I wouldn't say so. There's no necessity to say anything at present. He
associates with men who are classed as dangerous. He was made a delegate
of the Red Committee less than a year after his release on licence. A
sort of compliment, I suppose."
And the Chief Inspector laughed a little angrily, a little scornfully.
With a man of that sort scrupulousness was a misplaced and even an
illegal sentiment. The celebrity bestowed upon Michaelis on his release
two years ago by some emotional journalists in want of special copy had
rankled ever since in his breast. It was perfectly legal to arrest that
man on the barest suspicion. It was legal and expedient on the face of
it. His two former chiefs would have seen the point at once; whereas
this one, without saying either yes or no, sat there, as if lost in a
dream. Moreover, besides being legal and expedient, the arrest of
Michaelis solved a little personal difficulty which worried Chief
Inspector Heat somewhat. This difficulty had its bearing upon his
reputation, upon his comfort, and even upon the efficient performance of
his duties. For, if Michaelis no doubt knew something about this
outrage, the Chief Inspector was fairly certain that he did not know too
much. This was just as well. He knew much less--the Chief Inspector was
positive--than certain other individuals he had in his mind, but whose
arrest seemed to him inexpedient, besides being a more complicated
matter, on account of the rules of the game. The rules of the game did
not protect so much Michaelis, who was an ex-convict. It would be stupid
not to take advantage of legal facilities, and the journalists who had
written him up with emotional gush would be ready to write him down with
emotional indignation.
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