"I thought I had better have a word with you alone," he said, "just to
hear what line you propose to take up, for I confess that your attitude
has puzzled me completely."

"What line would you propose?" asked Thorndyke.

"Well," said the lawyer, with a shrug of his shoulders, "the position
seems to be this: our young friend has stolen a parcel of diamonds and
has been found out; at least, that is how the matter presents itself to
me."

"That is not how it presents itself to me," said Thorndyke drily. "He
may have taken the diamonds or he may not. I have no means of judging
until I have sifted the evidence and acquired a few more facts. This I
hope to do in the course of the next day or two, and I suggest that we
postpone the consideration of our plan of campaign until I have seen
what line of defence it is possible to adopt." "As you will," replied
the lawyer, taking up his hat, "but I am afraid you are encouraging the
young rogue to entertain hopes that will only make his fall the
harder--to say nothing of our own position. We don't want to make
ourselves ridiculous in court, you know."

"I don't, certainly," agreed Thorndyke. "However, I will look into the
matter and communicate with you in the course of a day or two."

He stood holding the door open as the lawyer descended the stairs, and
when the footsteps at length died away, he closed it sharply and turned
to me with an air of annoyance.