y you at all without further and definite
particulars as to why you wish me to do so."

Then the other man advanced, and said, "As you won't come quietly,
there's no help for it; so just look at these papers and you will see
you must come!"

He showed me several documents, and, on reading them, I was astounded to
find one was an order for my removal to a private lunatic asylum, the
papers being signed by Josias Googery, J.P., and Dr. Loonem; and others
contained statements of the evidences of my insanity, signed by my two
cousins.

Of course I was furious, and refused to go with them, whereupon they
rushed forward to seize hold of me. I shouted for Sir Lockesley to come
to my assistance, and he at once dashed into the room. The two men,
however, immediately warned him not to interfere, as they were acting in
a perfectly legal manner.

This he had to admit when the matter was fully explained to him; then he
urged me to accept the situation and go quietly, and he would take
immediate action to secure my release.

As it was clearly useless to resist a legalised process, I gave in, and
thus was I, a perfectly sane man, incarcerated in a lunatic asylum!
There I had to remain while Sir Lockesley saw my solicitors,
communicated with the Commissioners in Lunacy and others, and after much
correspondence and innumerable interviews, at last secured my release;
but not until I had endured more than a week's confinement in that
horrible place.

It was all a scheme concocted by my scapegrace cousins to have me
declared insane, and thus secure control of my fortune, they being my
only living relatives. But for Sir Lockesley's presence and influence
their precious plot might have proved quite successful.

I do not attach much blame to the magistrate and doctor, although they
might have exercised more care; but no doubt the Snayleyes had made such
suggestions to them that they were prepared to find insanity in anything
I did or said.

Mrs. Challen, who had been much affected and distressed at my being
carried off in this fashion, was delighted when at last I returned home
safe and sound after my release, and told her the trouble was all over.

M'Allister had intended going on to Glasgow during the previous week,
but had remained at home at Norbury to assist in securing my release;
doing yeoman's service in seeing various people and carrying messages.
When things had quite settled down again he went to Scotland and stayed
wit