mine, though Mr. Bellingham seemed to think otherwise,
for he resumed: "That cab business was the last straw, you know, and it
finished me off, but I have been going down the hill for a long time.
I've had a lot of trouble during the last two years. But I suppose I
oughtn't to pester you with the details of my personal affairs."

"Anything that bears on your present state of health is of interest to
me if you don't mind telling it," I said.

"Mind!" he exclaimed. "Did you ever meet an invalid who didn't enjoy
talking about his own health? It's the listener who minds, as a rule."

"Well, the present listener doesn't," I said.

"Then," said Mr. Bellingham, "I'll treat myself to the luxury of
telling you all my troubles; I don't often get the chance of a
confidential grumble to a responsible man of my own class. And I
really have some excuses for railing at Fortune, as you will agree when
I tell you that, a couple of years ago, I went to bed one night a
gentleman of independent means and excellent prospects and woke up in
the morning to find myself practically a beggar. Not a cheerful
experience that, you know, at my time of life, eh?"

"No," I agreed, "nor at any other."

"And that was not all," he continued; "for at the same moment I lost my
brother, my dearest, kindest friend. He disappeared--vanished off the
face of the earth; but perhaps you have heard of the affair. The
confounded papers were full of it at the time."

He paused abruptly, noticing, no doubt, a sudden change in my face. Of
course I recollected the case now. Indeed, ever since I had entered
the house some chord of memory had been faintly vibrating, and now his
last words had struck out the full note.

"Yes," I said, "I remember the incident, though I don't suppose I
should but for the fact that our lecturer on medical jurisprudence drew
my attention to it."

"Indeed," said Mr. Bellingham, rather uneasily, as I fancied. "What
did he say about it?"

"He referred to it as a case that was calculated to give rise to some
very pretty legal complications."

"By Jove!" exclaimed Bellingham, "that man was a prophet! Legal
complications, indeed! But I'll be bound he never guessed at the sort
of infernal tangle that has actually gathered round the affair. By the
way, what was his name?"

"Thorndyke," I replied. "Doctor John Thorndyke."

"Thorndyke," Mr. Bellingham repeated in a musing, retrospective tone.
"I seem to remember the name.