mber night these two were sitting over a comfortable fire in
Sherlaw's room. Twelve o'clock struck, Escott finished the remains of
something in a tumbler, rose, and yawned sleepily.

"Time to turn in, young man," said he.

"I suppose it is," replied Sherlaw, a very pleasant and boyish young
gentleman. "Hullo! What's that? A cab?"

They both listened, and some way off they could just pick out a sound like
wheels upon gravel.

"It's very late for any one to be coming in," said Escott.

The sound grew clearer and more unmistakably like a cab rattling quickly
up the drive.

"It is a cab," said Sherlaw.

They heard it draw up before the front door, and then there came a pause.

"Who the deuce can it be?" muttered Escott.

In a few minutes there came a knock at the door, and a servant entered.

"A new case, sir. Want's to see Dr Congleton particular."

"A man or a woman?"

"Man, sir."

"All right," growled Sherlaw. "I'll come, confound him."

"Bad luck, old man," laughed Escott. "I'll wait here in case by any chance
you want me."

He fell into his chair again, lit a cigarette, and sleepily turned over
the pages of a book. Dr Sherlaw was away for a little time, and when he
returned his cheerful face wore a somewhat mystified expression.

"Well?" asked Escott.

"Rather a rum case," said his colleague, thoughtfully.

"What's the matter?"

"Don't know."

"Who was it?"

"Don't know that either."

Escott opened his eyes.

"What happened, then?"

"Well," said Sherlaw, drawing his chair up to the fire again, "I'll tell
you just what did happen, and you can make what you can out of it. Of
course, I suppose it's all right, really, but--well, the proceedings were a
little unusual, don't you know.

"I went down to the door, and there I found a four-wheeler with a man
standing beside it. The door of the cab was shut, and there seemed to be
two more men inside. This chap who'd got out--a youngish man--hailed me at
once as though he'd bought the whole place.

" 'You Dr Congleton?'

" 'Damn your impertinence!' I said to myself, 'ringing people up at this
hour, and talking like a bally drill-sergeant.'

"I told him politely I wasn't old Congers, but that I'd make a good enough
substitute for the likes of him.

" 'I tell you what it is,' said the Johnnie, 'I've brought a patient for
Dr Congleton, a cousin of mine, and I've got a doctor here, too. I want to
see Dr Congleton.'

" 'He's probably in bed,' I