ir course."

"Supposing the case should come to a favorable termination, would you
allow me to settle your fees in the ordinary way?"

"If the choice lay with me," replied Thorndyke, "I should say 'yes'
with pleasure. But it does not. The attitude of the profession is
very definitely unfavorable to 'speculative' practise. You may
remember the well-known firm of Dodson and Fogg, who gained thereby
much profit, but little credit. But why discuss contingencies of this
kind? If I bring your case to a successful issue I shall have done
very well for myself. We shall have benefited one another mutually.
Come now, Miss Bellingham, I appeal to you. We have eaten salt
together, to say nothing of pigeon pie and other cates. Won't you back
me up, and at the same time do a kindness to Doctor Berkeley?"

"Why, is Doctor Berkeley interested in our decision?"

"Certainly he is, as you will appreciate when I tell you that he
actually tried to bribe me secretly out of his own pocket."

"Did you?" she asked, looking at me with an expression that rather
alarmed me.

"Well, not exactly," I replied, mighty hot and uncomfortable, and
wishing Thorndyke at the devil with his confidences. "I merely
mentioned that the--the--solicitor's costs, you know, and that sort of
thing--but you needn't jump on me, Miss Bellingham; Doctor Thorndyke
did all that was necessary in that way."

She continued to look at me thoughtfully as I stammered out my excuses,
and then said: "I wasn't going to. I was only thinking that poverty
has its compensations. You are all so very good to us; and, for my
part, I should accept Doctor Thorndyke's generous offer most
gratefully, and thank him for making it so easy for us."

"Very well, my dear," said Mr. Bellingham; "we will enjoy the sweets of
poverty, as you say--we have sampled the other kind of thing pretty
freely--and do ourselves the pleasure of accepting a great kindness,
most delicately offered."

"Thank you," said Thorndyke. "You have justified my faith in you, Miss
Bellingham, and in the power of Dr. Berkeley's salt. I understand that
you place your affairs in my hands?"

"Entirely and thankfully," replied Mr. Bellingham. "Whatever you think
best to be done we agree to beforehand."

"Then," said I, "let us drink success to the cause. Port, if you
please, Miss Bellingham; the vintage is not recorded, but it is quite
wholesome, and a suitable medium for the sodium chloride of
friendshi