Remember that my thoughts are my client's property, and that the essence of strategy is to keep the enemy in the dark." "Yes, I see that.

Of course, I ought not to have asked." "You ought not to need to ask," Thorndyke replied, with a smile; "you should put the facts together and reason from them yourself." While we had been talking I had noticed Thorndyke glance at me inquisitively from time to time.

Now, after an interval of silence, he asked suddenly: "Is anything amiss, Berkeley?
Are you worrying about your friends' affairs ?" "No, not particularly; though their prospects don't look very rosy." "Perhaps they are not quite so bad as they look," said he.

"But I am afraid something is troubling you.

All your gay spirits seem to have evaporated." He paused for a few moments, and then added: "I don't want to intrude on your private affairs, but if I can help you by advice or otherwise, remember that we are old friends and that you are my academic offspring." Instinctively, with a man's natural reticence, I began to mumble a half-articulate disclaimer; and then I stopped.