and broke his neck--drunk, most likely."

He opened his outer door as he spoke, and Breton, with a reassuring
smile and a nod at Spargo, followed him into his chambers on the first
landing, motioning the journalist to keep at their heels.

"Mr. Elphick tells me that he was with you until a late hour last
evening, Mr. Cardlestone," he said. "Of course, neither of you heard
anything suspicious?"

"What should we hear that was suspicious in the Temple, sir?" demanded
Mr. Cardlestone, angrily. "I hope the Temple is free from that sort of
thing, young Mr. Breton. Your respected guardian and myself had a quiet
evening on our usual peaceful pursuits, and when he went away all was
as quiet as the grave, sir. What may have gone on in the chambers above
and around me I know not! Fortunately, our walls are thick,
sir--substantial. I say, sir, the man probably fell down and broke his
neck. What he was doing here, I do not presume to say."

"Well, it's guess, you know, Mr. Cardlestone," remarked Breton, again
winking at Spargo. "But all that was found on this man was a scrap of
paper on which my name and address were written. That's practically all
that was known of him, except that he'd just arrived from Australia."

Mr. Cardlestone suddenly turned on the young barrister with a sharp,
acute glance.

"Eh?" he exclaimed. "What's this? You say this man had your name and
address on him, young Breton!--yours? And that he came from--Australia?"

"That's so," answered Breton. "That's all that's known."

Mr. Cardlestone put aside his umbrella, produced a bandanna
handkerchief of strong colours, and blew his nose in a reflective
fashion.

"That's a mysterious thing," he observed. "Um--does Elphick know all
that?"

Breton looked at Spargo as if he was asking him for an explanation of
Mr. Cardlestone's altered manner. And Spargo took up the conversation.

"No," he said. "All that Mr. Elphick knows is that Mr. Ronald Breton's
name and address were on the scrap of paper found on the body. Mr.
Elphick"--here Spargo paused and looked at Breton--"Mr. Elphick," he
presently continued, slowly transferring his glance to the old
barrister, "spoke of going to view the body."

"Ah!" exclaimed Mr. Cardlestone, eagerly. "It can be seen? Then I'll go
and see it. Where is it?"

Breton started.

"But--my dear sir!" he said. "Why?"

Mr. Cardlestone picked up his umbrella again.

"I feel a proper curiosity about a mystery which occurs at my