. Larmer was
waxing impatient--almost indignant--at his client's tone.

"So I do, entirely. Assuredly I have no desire to go to prison."

"Then for goodness' sake don't talk to anyone else the nonsense you have
been talking to me!"

"I am not likely. I have known you since we were boys together, and I
wanted to relieve my mind. It seemed right that you should know
precisely what is on my conscience in the matter."

"Well, you have told me, and the effect of it has been to convince me
more than ever of your innocence. But that sort of thing would scarcely
convince anybody else. Now take my advice, and think as little about the
case as possible. You cannot do any good--you will only demoralize
yourself still more. Everything depends on how the judge and jury may be
disposed to regard our story. I shall give a brief to the best man that
can be had, and then we shall have done all that lies in our power."

"I know I could not be in better hands. If anyone could get me off
scot-free you are the man to do it, Larmer. But I don't expect it, and I
am not sure that I care for it."

Then they parted, and Alan went to Surrey Street and cleared out his
goods and chattels, very much to the relief of Mrs. Gorman, who assured
Mr. Hipkins that she could not have slept comfortably at night with that
outrageous man under the same roof.

He found in his desk the message which he had written to Lettice on the
day of his crowning misfortune.

"Thank heaven I did not send it," he muttered to himself, as he tore it
in pieces. "One week has made all the difference. Nothing could ever
justify me in speaking to her again."

CHAPTER XXV.

MR. LARMER GIVES A BRIEF.

Mr. Larmer was not insensible to the notoriety which attached to him as
solicitor for the defence in a case which was the talk of the town, and
a topic of the sensational press. Not that it gave him any satisfaction
to make capital out of the misfortunes of a friend; but he would have
been something more than man and less than lawyer if he had despised the
professional chance which had come in his way.

And in fact he did not despise it. There were one or two inexact
statements in the reports of the proceedings at Bow Street--he had
written to the papers and corrected them. Several caterers for the
curiosity of the public hashed up as many scandals as they could find,
and served them hot for the entertainment of their readers. It happened
that these tales were al