four lines of writing on that page,
and there are four on the mortgage in the hands of the official
liquidator, but this is not the crucial point. The clerk, in making his
signature, dropped a blot of ink on the parchment. Now it was clear that
this blot of ink might prove the means o identifying this document and
of proving the time at which it was signed; therefore it was necesssary
that it should be erased. This the lawyer proceeded to do and so
cleverly that an unpracticed eye would not detect it. The expert,
however, though not knowing where the blot had fallen, detected the
erasure at once, and noticed that in erasing it two of the letters of
the name had been involved, and these had been retouched so as to make
them the same darkness as the rest. The chain of evidence is therefore
complete."

The last blow had proved too crushing. There was a sudden rush of blood
to his face, and, with a gasping sob, Mr. Brander fell back in his chair
insensible. Cuthbert ran to the door and opened it.

"Mr. Levison, your employer is taken ill. Send the other clerk to fetch
Dr. Edwardes at once, he will not have started on his rounds yet. Bring
some water in here."

With the assistance of the clerk, Cuthbert loosened the lawyer's necktie
and collar, swept the papers off the table, and laid him upon it,
folding up his great coat and placing it under his head.

CHAPTER XX.

"Apoplexy!" Dr. Edwardes exclaimed, as soon as he entered. "Cut his
sleeve open, Cuthbert. Fetch a basin, sir, and some water," he added to
the clerk.

He took a lancet from his pocket and opened a vein in the arm. At first
only a few drops of dark-colored blood issued out.

"Dip a cloth in cold water and wrap it round his head; and do you, lad,
run down to Miggleton, the confectioner, and get some ice, quick; it is
a matter of life or death!"

At last the blood began to flow more freely.

"I think he will do now," the doctor said, "it is his first seizure. I
have told him a good many times that he was too fond of good living and
did not take exercise enough. What brought this about, Cuthbert?"

"We had an unpleasant interview, Doctor. I had some ugly truths to tell
him and did not spare him."

"Then I think you had better go before he comes to his senses again.
Tell my man to bring down a mattress, pillows, and blankets. He won't be
fit to be moved to-day, and we must make him up a bed here. Directly I
see that he is out of immediate dang