the breed. Inky
fingers; no chest to speak of; all side and spectacles."

I rose artlessly at the gross and palpable bait.

"You're quite wrong," I exclaimed indignantly, contrasting Jervis's
hideous presentment with the comely original. "She is an exceedingly
good-looking girl, and her manners all that a lady's should be. A
little stiff, perhaps, but then I am only an acquaintance--almost a
stranger."

"But," Jervis persisted, "what is she like, in appearance I mean.
Short? fat? sandy? Give us intelligible details."

I made a rapid mental inventory, assisted by my recent cogitations.

"She is about five feet seven, slim but rather plump, very erect in
carriage and graceful in movements; black hair, loosely parted in the
middle and falling very prettily away from the forehead; pale, clear
complexion, dark gray eyes, straight eyebrows, straight, well-shaped
nose, short mouth, rather full; round chin--what the deuce are you
grinning at, Jervis?" For my friend had suddenly unmasked his
batteries and now threatened, like the Cheshire cat, to dissolve into a
mere abstraction of amusement.

"If there is a copy of that will, Thorndyke," he said, "we shall get
it. I think you agree with me, reverend senior?"

"I have already said," was the reply, "that I put my trust in Berkeley.
And now let us dismiss professional topics. This is our hostelry."

He pushed open an unpretentious glazed door, and we followed him into
the restaurant, whereof the atmosphere was pervaded by an appetizing
meatiness mingled with less agreeable suggestions of the destructive
distillation of fat.

It was some two hours later when I wished my friends adieu under the
golden-leaved plane trees of King's Bench Walk.

"I won't ask you to come in now," said Thorndyke, "as we have some
consultations this afternoon. But come in and see us soon; don't wait
for that copy of the will."

"No," said Jervis. "Drop in in the evening when your work is done;
unless, of course, there is more attractive society elsewhere. Oh, you
needn't turn that color, my dear child; we have all been young once;
there is even a tradition that Thorndyke was young some time back in
the pre-dynastic period."

"Don't take any notice of him, Berkeley," said Thorndyke. "The
egg-shell is sticking to his head still. He'll know better when he is
my age."

"Methuselah!" exclaimed Jervis. "I hope I shan't have to wait as long
as that!"

Thorndyke smiled benevolentl