G K Chesterton

The Innocence of Father Brown G K Chesterton

Between the silver ribbon of morning and the green glittering ribbon of sea, the boat touchedHarwich and let loose a swarm of folk like flies, among whom the man we must follow was by nomeans conspicuous-nor wished to be. There was nothing notable about him, except a slightcontrast between the holiday gaiety of his clothes and the official gravity of his face. His clothesincluded a slight, pale grey jacket, a white waistcoat, and a silver straw hat with a grey-blue ribbon. His lean face was dark by contrast, and ended in a curt black beard that looked Spanish andsuggested an Elizabethan ruff. He was smoking a cigarette with the seriousness of an idler. Therewas nothing about him to indicate the fact that the grey jacket covered a loaded revolver, that thewhite waistcoat covered a police card, or that the straw hat covered one of the most powerfulintellects in Europe. For this was Valentin himself, the head of the Paris police and the most famousinvestigator of the world; and he was coming from Brussels to London to make the greatest arrest ofthe century. Flambeau was in England. The police of three countries had tracked the great criminal at lastfrom Ghent to Brussels, from Brussels to the Hook of Holland; and it was conjectured that hewould take some advantage of the unfamiliarity and confusion of the Eucharistic Congress, thentaking place in London. Probably he would travel as some minor clerk or secretary connected withit; but, of course, Valentin could not be certain; nobody could be certain about Flambeau.