“The mysterious companion of the Thames, a sparkling haze, both dense and transparent at once, brightened and sparkled more and more as the sun rose over Westminster, and two people walked across Westminster Bridge. One was tall, the other was short, and we, obeying the whim of fantasy, could compare them with the proud tower of Parliament and with the humble, stooped abbey, especially since the short one was in a cassock. In the language of the documents, the tall man was called Hercule Flambeau, was engaged in private investigation and was heading to his new office, located in a new apartment building opposite the abbey; and the little one was called Father J. Brown, served in the church of St. Francis Xavier, and, having given communion to the dying man, came from Camberwell to see his friend's office...”