Thorndyke is so very close--and he is quite right too. I never
cease admiring his tactics of allowing the enemy to fortify and
barricade the entrance that he does _not_ mean to attack. But I see you
are wishing me at the devil, so give me a cigar and I will go--though
not to that particular destination."

"Will you have one of Thorndyke's special brand?" I asked malignantly.

"What! those foul Trichinopolies? Not while brown paper is to be
obtained at every stationer's; I'd sooner smoke my own wig."

I tendered my own case, from which he selected a cigar with anxious care
and much sniffing; then he bade me a ceremonious adieu and departed down
the stairs, blithely humming a melody from the latest comic opera.

He had not left more than five minutes when a soft and elaborate
rat-tat from the little brass knocker brought my heart into my mouth. I
ran to the door and flung it open, revealing Juliet standing on the
threshold.

"May I come in?" she asked. "I want to have a few words with you before
we start."

I looked at her with some anxiety, for she was manifestly agitated, and
the hand that she held out to me trembled.

"I am greatly upset, Dr. Jervis," she said, ignoring the chair that I
had placed for her. "Mr. Lawley has been giving us his views of poor
Reuben's case, and his attitude fills me with dismay."

"Hang Mr. Lawley!" I muttered, and then apologised hastily. "What made
you go to him, Miss Gibson?"

"I didn't go to him; he came to us. He dined with us last night--he and
Walter--and his manner was gloomy in the extreme. After dinner Walter
took him apart with me and asked him what he really thought of the case.
He was most pessimistic. 'My dear sir,' he said, 'the only advice I can
give you is that you prepare yourself to contemplate disaster as
philosophically as you can. In my opinion your cousin is almost certain
to be convicted.' 'But,' said Walter, 'what about the defence? I
understood that there was at least a plausible case.' Mr. Lawley
shrugged his shoulders. 'I have a sort of _alibi_ that will go for
nothing, but I have no evidence to offer in answer to that of the
prosecution, and no case; and I may say, speaking in confidence, that I
do not believe there is any case. I do not see how there can be any
case, and I have heard nothing from Dr. Thorndyke to lead me to suppose
that he has really done anything in the matter.' Is this true, Dr.
Jervis? Oh! do tell me the real truth about it! I hav