hat, even if
he maintains an apparent neutrality, his influence will be exerted in
favor of Hurst rather than of Bellingham; from which it follows that
Bellingham ought certainly to be properly advised, and, when the case
goes into Court, properly represented."

"He can't afford either the one or the other," said I. "He's as poor
as an insolvent church mouse and as proud as the devil. He wouldn't
accept professional aid that he couldn't pay for."

"H'm," grunted Thorndyke, "that's awkward. But we can't allow the case
to go 'by default,' so to speak--to fail for the mere lack of technical
assistance. Besides, it is one of the most interesting cases that I
have ever met with, and I am not going to see it bungled. He couldn't
object to a little general advice in a friendly, informal way--_amicus
curiae_, as old Brodribb is so fond of saying; and there is nothing to
prevent us from pushing forward the preliminary inquiries."

"Of what nature would they be?"

"Well, to begin with, we have to satisfy ourselves that the conditions
of clause two have not been complied with: that John Bellingham has not
been buried within the parish boundaries mentioned. Of course he has
not, but we must not take anything for granted. Then we have to
satisfy ourselves that he is not still alive and accessible. It is
perfectly possible that he is, after all, and it is our business to
trace him, if he is still in the land of the living. Jervis and I can
carry out these investigations without saying anything to Bellingham;
my learned brother will look through the register of burials--not
forgetting the cremations--in the metropolitan area, and I will take
the other matter in hand."

"You really think that John Bellingham may still be alive?" said I.

"Since his body has not been found, it is obviously a possibility. I
think it in the highest degree improbable, but the improbable has to be
investigated before it can be excluded."

"It sounds a rather hopeless quest," I remarked. "How do you propose
to begin?"

"I think of beginning at the British Museum. The people there may be
able to throw some light on his movements. I know that there are some
important excavations in progress at Heliopolis--in fact, the Director
of the Egyptian Department is out there at the present moment; and
Doctor Norbury, who is taking his place temporarily, is an old friend
of Bellingham's. I shall call on him and try to discover if there is
anythin