 made a pretence of being in complete ignorance of
these proceedings.
    »This watching of me at my chambers (which I have once had reason to
suspect),« I said to Wemmick when he came back, »is inseparable from the person
to whom you have adverted; is it?«
    Wemmick looked very serious. »I couldn't undertake to say that, of my own
knowledge. I mean, I couldn't undertake to say it was at first. But it either
is, or it will be, or it's in great danger of being.«
    As I saw that he was restrained by fealty to Little Britain from saying as
much as he could, and as I knew, with thankfulness to him, how far out of his
way he went to say what he did, I could not press him. But I told him, after a
little meditation over the fire, that I would like to ask him a question,
subject to his answering or not answering, as he deemed right, and sure that his
course would be right. He paused in his breakfast, and crossing his arms, and
pinching his shirt-sleeves (his notion of indoor comfort was to sit without any
coat), he nodded to me once, to put my question.
    »You have heard of a man of bad character, whose true name is Compeyson?«
    He answered with one other nod.
    »Is he living?«
    One other nod.
    »Is he in London?«
    He gave me one other nod, compressed the post-office exceedingly, gave me
one last nod, and went on with his breakfast.
    »Now,« said Wemmick, »questioning being over;« which he emphasised and
repeated for my guidance; »I come to what I did, after hearing what I heard. I
went to Garden-court to find you; not finding you, I went to Clarriker's to find
Mr. Herbert.«
    »And him you found?« said I, with great anxiety.
    »And him I found. Without mentioning any names or going into any details, I
gave him to understand that if he was aware of anybody - Tom, Jack, or Richard -
being about the chambers, or about the immediate neighbourhood, he had better
get Tom, Jack, or Richard, out of the way while you were out of the way.«
    »He would be greatly puzzled what to do?«
    »He was puzzled what to do; not the less, because I gave him my opinion that
it was not
