journal, whom
he sometimes met on the cricket-field; he also remembered that he had
caught a glimpse of him in the Coroner's Court, and he hastened to make
room for him.

"Hullo!" said Triffitt.

"What-ho!" responded the pink young gentleman. He beckoned knowingly to
a waitress, and looked at her narrowly when she came. "Got such a thing
as a muffin?" he asked.

"Muffins, sir--yes, sir," replied the waitress, "Fresh muffins."

"Pick me out a nice, plump, newly killed muffin" commanded Triffitt's
companion. "Leave it in its natural state--that is to say, cold--split
it in half put between the halves a thick, generous slice of that cold
ham I see on your counter, and produce it with a pot of fresh--and very
hot--China tea. That's all."

"Plenty too, I should think!" muttered Triffitt. "Fond of indigestion,
Carver?"

"I don't think you've ever been in Yorkshire, have you, Triffitt?" asked
Mr. Carver, settling himself comfortably. "You haven't had that
pleasure?--well, if you'd ever gone to a football match on a Saturday
afternoon in a Yorkshire factory district, you'd have seen men selling
muffin-and-ham sandwiches--fact! And I give you my word that if you want
something to fill you up during the day, something to tide over the
weary wait between breakfast and dinner, a fat muffin with a thick slice
of ham is the best thing I know."

"I don't want anything to fill me up," grunted Triffitt. "I want
something cheering--at present. I've been listening with all my ears for
something new in that blessed Herapath case all the morning, and, as you
know, there's been nothing!"

"Think so?" said Carver. "Um--I should have said there was a good deal,
now."

"Nothing that I didn't know, anyway," remarked Triffitt. "I got all that
first thing; I was on the spot first."

"Oh, it was you, was it?" said Carver, with professional indifference.
"Lucky man! So you've only been hearing----"

"A repetition of what I'd heard before," answered Triffitt. "I knew all
that evidence before I went into court. Caretaker--police--folks from
Portman Square--doctor--all the lot! And I guess there'll be nothing
this afternoon--the thing'll be adjourned."

"Oh, that's of course," assented Carver, attacking his muffin sandwich.
"There'll be more than one adjournment of this particular inquest,
Triffitt. But aren't you struck by one or two points?"

"I'm struck by this," replied Triffitt. "If what the police-surgeon
says--and you noticed