are the other side, too, for that matter. But we must really be off
now, mustn't we, reverend senior?"

"I suppose we must," replied Thorndyke; and, as he drew on his gloves,
he asked: "Have you heard from Barnard lately?"

"Oh, yes," I answered. "I wrote to him at Smyrna to say that the
practice was flourishing and that I was quite happy and contented, and
that he might stay away as long as he liked. He writes by return that he
will prolong his holiday if an opportunity offers, but will let me know
later."

"Gad," said Jervis, "it was a stroke of luck for Barnard that Bellingham
happened to have such a magnificent daughter--there! don't mind me, old
man. You go in and win--she's worth it, isn't she, Thorndyke?"

"Miss Bellingham is a very charming young lady," replied Thorndyke. "I
am most favourably impressed by both the father and the daughter, and I
only trust that we may be able to be of some service to them." With this
sedate little speech Thorndyke shook my hand, and I watched my two
friends go on their way until their fading shapes were swallowed up in
the darkness of Fetter Lane.

CHAPTER XII

A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

It was some two or three mornings after my little supper-party that, as
I stood in the consulting-room brushing my hat preparatory to starting
on my morning round, Adolphus appeared at the door to announce two
gentlemen waiting in the surgery. I told him to bring them in, and a
moment later Thorndyke entered, accompanied by Jervis. I noted that they
looked uncommonly large in the little apartment, especially Thorndyke,
but I had no time to consider this phenomenon, for the latter, when he
had shaken my hand, proceeded at once to explain the object of their
visit.

"We have come to ask a favour, Berkeley," he said; "to ask you to do us
a very great service in the interests of your friends, the Bellinghams."

"You know I shall be delighted," I said warmly. "What is it?"

"I will explain. You know--or perhaps you don't--that the police have
collected all the bones that have been discovered and deposited them in
the mortuary at Woodford, where they are to be viewed by the coroner's
jury. Now, it has become imperative that I should have more definite and
reliable information about them than I can get from the newspapers. The
natural thing would be for me to go down and examine them myself, but
there are circumstances that make it very desirable that my connection
with the case should