or a peaceful arcadia at a convenient distance from trams, omnibuses, and railways. You turn out of the main thoroughfare to find yourself suddenly shut i

slightly suspicious of visitors. The villas are constructed on a system of defence not unpopular during the middle ages. There is no room for a drawbridge or a moat, b

ack on the opposite side, you may catch sight of the tops of the vi

andpoint. It is a solid piece of woodwor

e gate will be opened, and you will thus ge

locking up the aperture. The eyes of this face regard you carefully, and if these eyes fail to recognise you the lips move and request to know your b

on the door-posts we learn is called 'The Lodge,' and by the brass plate on the door we f

shabby about the clothes, and not part

tic servant order, and it evidently regards the visitor with some suspicion. There has

name, I shan't go and dis

' answers the shabby gentleman-'that an

his time in a curled-

their names ain't no frie

know, you impertinent

an'

flap goes to

east abashed. He takes the bell-hand

e face, hotter and angrier than eve

away I shall send

take my

er ain't

evil didn't you

been waksinated, and what he had for dinner o' Sunday. Come, what is it? 'Ave you called to see the meter and help yourself to

ave it. She knew a thing or two; and she wasn't going to be made a fo

it a visitor when her master was out, and she meant to obey them. Besid

angry in the least. He accep

a shrewd girl, and deserve encouragement. I'll report to the

was, I shouldn't be ashamed on it, like you are o'

shabby gentleman was still o

ront of The Lodge. Dr. Birnie jumped out, the carriage drove off, and then the shabby gentleman, coming

ctor t

he looked closely into the shabby gentleman's face and

Marston

e been very near it,

've been to Heckett's and Egerton's to-day, and now here's M

s visitor's costume, and

uppose?' he s

have called for that bob you owe me for direct

ctor s

! you don't mean to

t is.' Marston drew the card from his pocket and give it to Birnie. 'That's

t a nice laugh, and the d

r a moment; then, assuming an air of nonchalan

lad to see you. Will you

ed Marston; 'especially if there'

my dear boy.

to tell him of the pertinacious shabby gentleman's visit. The look of disgust on her face when she saw the shabby gentleman in the ha

Dr. Birnie, as, a few minutes later, he s

pleasure before

nd pickles, which the servant had been or

eaned back in the chair a

, 'that's the first good m

a little mo

I won't spo

his mind that he was not going sho

mfortable. He was playing a game without knowing his opponent's cards, and that w

said Marston presently. 'By Jove! there must have

d ther

a regular tiptop swell now, and I'll bet old Heckett hasn't been behindhand in making hay. I'm the only one of the lot that's down on my luck. I've been the scapegoat

n, searching glan

the ground a little. I suppose, from your being here and wal

ui

y did you go aw

When that little affair was on and I bolted suddenly, you put two and two together an

ow

prosecute the big lawsuit which was to make us

es

day, and I went o

ay that your mysterious departu

op the old man making a fool of himself, and carry the case furt

ou suc

ead, and every blessed halfpenny of

if I suggest that there must ha

as, find it out. It wa

s though

ance old Isaacs discounted for me w

t-pocket a dirty and creased piece of pap

e's acceptan

t, read it, as Marston

n?' he said quietly. 'I wonder

He said it wasn't worth th

said Birnie,

ton, folding it up carefully

ause I was a penniless adventurer. It is worth nothing now because it is

eing each other in silence. Mar

pay it, in spite

ling it, 'I may, or I may not. That depends on you. I suppose you've so

aps I

ere's some tobacco. Tobacco is a wonderful sedat

f down in an arm-chair. He was quite re

. That was Ralph Egerton, Gurth's cousin. He was a drunken, reckless fool, and we thought him an easy prey. He came night after night to the den, but he didn't seem to care for play; he lost with a good grace, and we never could quite make out why he came. One night there was a furious quarrel there; blows were struck in the struggle, the table was knocked over, and the light extinguished. Suddenly Ralph Egerton shrieked out

about that,' int

I were the only ones who kept our heads. I was just admitted to the profession, and I examined the wound, and found that it was a bad one. We held a council and agreed what to do. I bandaged the wound up tightly and swathed the body round so that no blood could escape; the

his pipe. 'Up to this point you've told me

ast offices myself, and when the undertaker came he found only a neatly shrouded body. Everything was done in my presence, and no one ever had the slightest sus

table, undid a drawer, and hand

of the certifi

ys by Oliver Birnie, his regular medical attendant, and had died from a complication of d

' he said, as he handed it back to the doctor

his tobacco-pou

was found that Gurth was his next heir, and came into all the property; and a nice little haul it was

rth was the heir when

You might not have gone

back again, that I haven't got a mag in the world, and that, as you and Egerton s

king up a better. It isn't mine. I hire it when I want it, and use it as an advertisement. This house I have lived in since Ralph died here. Gurth let it to me cheap on a long

sity had much to do wit

g the motive-the fact remains. Gurth has done well s

on. 'You mean that if I want help Gurth is

answered the doctor, knockin

rage and strode across th

ged by your cool as a cucumber business. I'm back in London, and I've got to live. I look for my old frie

bt in the first place, and in the second i

ir start, and go ahead right enough. I've got my wits about me, and pluck enough

doctor quietly, 'and I'll see what I

ion for over an hour. When Marston went out through the garden gate, R

to herself. 'If he ain't got something in his pocket

something in his pocket that he didn't br

practice, Dr. Birnie evidently