"Yes, mainly. I do not necessarily accept those facts just as they are presented, and I may have certain views of my own on the case. But if I have, I do not feel in a position to discuss them. For the present, discussion has to be limited to the facts and inferences offered by the parties concerned."
"There!" exclaimed Jervis, rising to knock his pipe out, "that is where Thorndyke has you. He lets you think you're in the thick of the 'know' until one fine morning you wake up and discover that you have only been a gaping outsider; and then you are mightily astonished—and so 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 practise 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's a very charming young lady," replied Thorndyke. "I am most favorably 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 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 that 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 favor, Berkeley," he said; "to ask you to do us a very great service in the interests of your friends the Bellinghams."