Plenty of rope
The Secret of Chimneys“Plenty of rope” is Anthony Cade’s name for a tactic of letting an adversary proceed far enough to reveal himself. In his confrontation with Battle, Cade says he has used the method against M. Lemoine: instead of denying the accusation, he has allowed it room to stand while preparing a hidden countermeasure.
Meaning and Application
The expression turns patience into an active strategy. Giving an opponent “plenty of rope” does not mean surrendering control; it means withholding an immediate rebuttal and allowing the opponent’s confidence or conduct to carry him toward exposure. Cade’s version depends on having a trump card ready, so restraint is backed by preparation rather than passivity.
Cade’s Exchange with Battle
Cade first asks Battle whether he is equally certain that Prince Nicholas died in the Congo. Battle answers cautiously that he would not swear to it, though it is generally believed. Cade then praises Battle’s habit of being right and invokes the detective’s motto, presenting his own approach to M. Lemoine as a lesson taken from Battle’s method.
Cade explains that he has not denied M. Lemoine’s accusation, but expects the accuser to be disappointed. The reversal depends on the difference between what M. Lemoine believes he can establish and what Cade has kept in reserve. Asked by Lord Caterham what that reserve is, Cade reveals that his trump card—or, more precisely, the person who embodies it—is upstairs. He adds that the man has recently had a difficult time and a nasty bump on the head, and that Cade has been looking after him.
Narrative Function
The phrase links a general principle of investigative patience to a specific concealed person and imminent revelation. Cade’s light, teasing use of Battle’s motto makes the exchange sound like banter, while the reference to a trump card signals that the apparent uncertainty about Prince Nicholas’s fate is not the whole story. The expression thus works both as a tactical description and as a cue that Cade has withheld decisive information until the right moment.
