half-past ten. Is Jervis coming with us?"

"Yes, you'd better come," said Thorndyke. "It's the adjourned hearing of
poor Hornby's case, you know. There won't be anything done on our side,
but we may be able to glean some hint from the prosecution."

"I should like to hear what takes place, at any rate," I said, and we
accordingly sallied forth together in the direction of Lincoln's Inn, on
the north side of which Mr. Lawley's office was situated.

"Ah!" said the solicitor, as we entered, "I am glad you've come; I was
getting anxious--it doesn't do to be late on these occasions, you know.
Let me see, do you know Mr. Walter Hornby? I don't think you do." He
presented Thorndyke and me to our client's cousin, and as we shook
hands, we viewed one another with a good deal of mutual interest.

"I have heard about you from my aunt," said he, addressing himself more
particularly to me. "She appears to regard you as a kind of legal
Maskelyne and Cooke. I hope, for my cousin's sake, that you will be able
to work the wonders that she anticipates. Poor old fellow! He looks
pretty bad, doesn't he?"

I glanced at Reuben, who was at the moment talking to Thorndyke, and as
he caught my eye he held out his hand with a warmth that I found very
pathetic. He seemed to have aged since I had last seen him, and was
pale and rather thinner, but he was composed in his manner and seemed to
me to be taking his trouble very well on the whole.

"Cab's at the door, sir," a clerk announced.