"'Done!' said he. 'We picked him out of the gutter,
and he won't leave us so easily.' Those were his very
words."

"'The impudent scoundrel!' I cried. 'I've never so
much as seen him in my life. Why should I consider
him in any way? I shall certainly not write if you
would rather I didn't.'

"'Good! That's a promise,' said he, rising from his
chair. 'Well, I'm delighted to have got so good a man
for my brother. Here's your advance of a hundred
pounds, and here is the letter. Make a note of the
address, 126b Corporation Street, and remember that
one o'clock to-morrow is your appointment.
Good-night; and may you have all the fortune that you
deserve!'

"That's just about all that passed between us, as near
as I can remember. You can imagine, Dr. Watson, how
pleased I was at such an extraordinary bit of good
fortune. I sat up half the night hugging myself over
it, and next day I was off to Birmingham in a train
that would take me in plenty time for my appointment.
I took my things to a hotel in New Street, and then I
made my way to the address which had been given me.

"It was a quarter of an hour before my time, but I
thought that would make no difference. 126b was a
passage between two large shops, which led to a