see."

"More urgent business brought me to London. I dined and spent last evening,
by-the-by, with Doctor Gant--the doctor who was in attendance upon that
poor fellow who died on the way over."

"A very ingenious gentleman," Crawshay observed drily.

"Ah! you appreciate that, do you?" Jocelyn Thew replied, with a faint
smile. "You should go and cultivate his acquaintance. He is staying over at
the Regent Palace Hotel."

"One doesn't always attach oneself to the wrong person, Mr. Thew."

"Even the stupidest people in the world," Jocelyn Thew agreed, "can
scarcely make mistakes all the time, can they? By the way," he went on,
turning towards the detective, "is it my fancy or have I not had the
pleasure of meeting Mr. Brightman in America? I fancied so when I saw him
board the steamer in the Mersey on Sunday, but it did not fall to my lot to
receive the benefit of his offices."

"I was just telling Mr. Crawshay that I had had the pleasure of
professional dealings with you," Brightman said drily. "I was also
lamenting the fact that they had not ended according to my desires."

"Mr. Brightman was always ambitious," the newcomer observed, with gentle
satire. "He is, I am sure, a most persevering and intelligent member of his
profession, but he flies high."

"I am much obliged for your commendation," Brightman said bluntly. "As