not leak out. Consequently, I can't go myself,
and, for the same reason, I can't send Jervis. On the other hand, as it
is now stated pretty openly that the police consider the bones to be
almost certainly those of John Bellingham, it would seem perfectly
natural that you, as Godfrey Bellingham's doctor, should go down to view
them on his behalf."

"I should like to go," I said. "I would give anything to go; but how is
it to be managed? It would mean a whole day off and leaving the practice
to take care of itself."

"I think that could be arranged," said Thorndyke; "and the matter is
really important for two reasons. One is that the inquest opens
to-morrow, and someone certainly ought to be there to watch the
proceedings on Godfrey's behalf; and the other is that our client has
received notice from Hurst's solicitors that the application would be
heard in the Probate Court in a few days."

"Isn't that rather sudden?" I asked.

"It certainly suggests that there has been a good deal more activity
than we were given to understand. But you see the importance of the
affair. The inquest will be a sort of dress rehearsal for the Probate
Court, and it is quite essential that we should have a chance of
estimating the management."

"Yes, I see that. But how are we to manage about the practice?"

"We shall find you a substitute."

"Through a medical agent?"

"Yes," said Jervis. "Turcival will find us a man; in fact, he has done
it. I saw him this morning; he has a man who is waiting up in town to
negotiate for the purchase of a practice and who would do the job for a
couple of guineas. Quite a reliable man. Only say the word, and I will
run off to Adam Street and engage him definitely."

"Very well. You engage the locum tenens, and I will be prepared to start
for Woodford as soon as he turns up."

"Excellent!" said Thorndyke. "That is a great weight off my mind. And if
you could manage to drop in this evening and smoke a pipe with us we
could talk over the plan of campaign and let you know what items of
information we are particularly in want of."

I promised to turn up at King's Bench Walk as soon after half-past eight
as possible, and my two friends then took their departure, leaving me to
set out in high spirits on my scanty round of visits.

It is surprising what different aspects things present from different
points of view; how relative are our estimates of the conditions and
circumstances of life. To the urban