anded in New York from a certain ship on a certain
date.

The first reply was not very encouraging. The man had left New York many
years ago, and no one knew where he had gone. But the next cablegram
brought news that James Richard, or some one answering to the name and
description had been tracked to Chicago. There he had practised as a
doctor with some success, but had fallen seriously ill, had given up his
business, and had again disappeared. The detective "on the job" was
going to Colorado to look for him, as the climate of that state had been
recommended to Richard by a fellow practitioner.

On the Monday morning after our arrival in Edinburgh, a third message
had come. This announced that the doctor had left Colorado and gone to
California, where he was now living at Riverside, with a rising
practice; but that he was considered a "crank," because he constantly
besieged rich men to start a laboratory in which to work out his
theories. Two or three had half promised their help, but for some reason
or other the financial schemes had fallen through. Still the man never
appeared to lose hope. Having received this news, Somerled wired direct
to the doctor, offering him as much money as he needed, if, before
anything further was settled, he would come over to Scotland and reveal
himself to his wife.

Up to this time, Somerled had said nothing to Mrs. James, except that he
hoped to give her a pleasant surprise; and told her even this only
because she planned to go back to Carlisle, now that Barrie was with her
mother. Naturally Somerled had several important reasons for wishing the
little woman to stay; but the one, he alleged, was his desire to see
what she thought of the "surprise" when it came.

He, of course, must have had visions of keeping this useful queen of
spades up his sleeve, that he might be ready to trump one of our knavish
tricks with her, at any moment; but the gods fought against him for
once. Just before theatre-time, arrived a long cablegram from James
Richard, alias Richard James. He thanked Somerled enthusiastically (Mrs.
James showed the message to me, and to every one of us), accepted his
loan, believing that eventually it could be repaid, and was more than
happy to hear news of his wife, whom he had left only for her own good,
because at that tune he considered himself disgraced and ruined. He had
intended suicide, but the thought of his invention had changed his mind
and plans at the last mome