m he knew to be innocent?"

"Certainly. It has been done. There is a case of a judge who sentenced a
man to death and allowed the execution to take place, notwithstanding
that he--the judge--had actually seen the murder committed by another
man. But that was carrying correctness of procedure to the verge of
pedantry."

"It was, with a vengeance," I agreed. "But to return to the case of John
Bellingham. Supposing that after the Court has decided that he is dead
he should turn up alive? What then?"

"Ah! It would then be his turn to make an application, and the Court,
having fresh evidence laid before it, would probably decide that he was
alive."

"And meantime his property would have been dispersed?"

"Probably. But you will observe that the presumption of death would have
arisen out of his own proceedings. If a man acts in such a way as to
create a belief that he is dead, he must put up with the consequences."

"Yes, that is reasonable enough," said I. And then, after a pause, I
asked: "Is there any immediate likelihood of proceedings of the kind
being commenced?"

"I understood from what you said just now that Mr. Hurst was
contemplating some action of the kind. No doubt you had your information
from a reliable quarter." This answer Mr. Jellicoe delivered without
moving a muscle, regarding me with the fixity of a spectacled
figure-head.

I smiled feebly. The operation of pumping Mr. Jellicoe was rather like
the sport of boxing with a porcupine, being chiefly remarkable as a
demonstration of the power of passive resistance. I determined, however,
to make one more effort, rather, I think, for the pleasure of witnessing
his defensive manoeuvres than with the expectation of getting anything
out of him. I accordingly "opened out" on the subject of the "remains."

"Have you been following these remarkable discoveries of human bones
that have been appearing in the papers?" I asked.

He looked at me stonily for some moments, and then replied:

"Human bones are rather more within your province than mine, but, now
that you mention it, I think I recall having read of some such
discoveries. They were disconnected bones, I believe?"

"Yes; evidently parts of a dismembered body."

"So I should suppose. No, I have not followed the accounts. As we get on
in life our interests tend to settle into grooves, and my groove is
chiefly connected with conveyancing. These discoveries would be of more
interest to a criminal lawy