Hospital."

"Anstey is a wag, you understand," explained Thorndyke, "but he has
lucid intervals. He'll have one presently if we are patient."

"Patient!" snorted our eccentric visitor, "it is I who need to be
patient when I am dragged into police courts and other sinks of iniquity
to plead for common thieves and robbers like a Kennington Lane
advocate."

"You've been talking to Lawley, I see," said Thorndyke.

"Yes, and he tells me that we haven't a leg to stand upon."

"No, we've got to stand on our heads, as men of intellect should. But
Lawley knows nothing about the case."

"He thinks he knows it all," said Anstey.

"Most fools do," retorted Thorndyke. "They arrive at their knowledge by
intuition--a deuced easy road and cheap travelling too. We reserve our
defence--I suppose you agree to that?"

"I suppose so. The magistrate is sure to commit unless you have an
unquestionable _alibi_."

"We shall put in an _alibi_, but we are not depending on it."

"Then we had better reserve our defence," said Anstey; "and it is time
that we wended on our pilgrimage, for we are due at Lawley's at