ut over and above these circumstances there
was a certain sympathy and personal affinity of which I was strongly
conscious and of which I dimly hoped that she, perhaps, was a little
conscious too. At any rate, I was deeply interested in her; of that
there was no doubt whatever. Short as our acquaintance had been, she
held a place in my thoughts that had never been held by any other woman.

From Ruth Bellingham my reflections passed by a natural transition to
the curious story that her father had told me. It was a queer affair,
that ill-drawn will, with the baffled lawyer protesting in the
background. It almost seemed as if there must be something behind it
all, especially when I remembered Mr. Hurst's very singular proposal.
But it was out of my depth; it was a case for a lawyer, and to a lawyer
it should go. This very night, I resolved, I would go to Thorndyke and
give him the whole story as it had been told to me.

And then there happened one of those coincidences at which we all
wonder when they occur, but which are so frequent as to have become
enshrined in a proverb. For even as I formed the resolution, I
observed two men approaching from the direction of Blackfriars, and
recognized in them my quondam teacher and his junior.

"I was just thinking about you," I said as they came up.

"Very flattering," replied Jervis; "but I thought you had to talk of
the devil."

"Perhaps," suggested Thorndyke, "he was talking to himself. But why
were you thinking of us, and what was the nature of your thoughts?"

"My thoughts had reference to the Bellingham case. I spent the whole
of last evening at Nevill's Court."

"Ha! And are there any fresh developments?"

"Yes, by Jove! there are. Bellingham gave me a full detailed
description of the will; and a pretty document it seems to be."

"Did he give you permission to repeat the details to me?"

"Yes. I asked specifically if I might, and he had no objection
whatever."

"Good. We are lunching at Soho to-day as Polton has his hands full.
Come with us and share our table and tell us your story as we go. Will
that suit you?"

It suited me admirably in the present state of the practise, and I
accepted the invitation with undissembled glee.

"Very well," said Thorndyke; "then let us walk slowly and finish with
matters confidential before we plunge into the maddening crowd."

We set forth at a leisurely pace along the broad pavement and I
commenced my narration