Fitzroy hurried forward to help explain, presenting an introduction letter from the Government of Buenos Aires to the Commander of Patagones that the clerk then took into the tent. In a little while, an officer came out. He was not tall, but he was robust; he was General Rosas.
He rarely smiled, yet his tone was kind as he told us he was at our service, and he invited us to sit in the tent. He asked us many things, including about our travels and life experiences, but what interested General Rosas the most was the mysterious friend Eld spoke of—the Shadow Pope of Scotland Yard.
Yes, Arthur, it was you. Oh my God! You should be glad you weren't there, for you would have wanted to crawl into a hole. In Eld's words, you seemed like the covert force behind all judicial power in London, capable of resolving any case thoroughly, with no evil eluding your sight.
