"He may have taken the diamonds or he may not.

I have no means of judging until I have sifted the evidence and acquired a few more facts.

This I hope to do in the course of the next day or two, and I suggest that we postpone the consideration of our plan of campaign until I have seen what line of defence it is possible to adopt." "As you will," replied the lawyer, taking up his hat, "but I am afraid you are encouraging the young rogue to entertain hopes that will only make his fall the harder--to say nothing of our own position.

We don't want to make ourselves ridiculous in court, you know." "I don't, certainly," agreed Thorndyke.

"However, I will look into the matter and communicate with you in the course of a day or two." He stood holding the door open as the lawyer descended the stairs, and when the footsteps at length died away, he closed it sharply and turned to me with an air of annoyance.
"The 'young rogue,'" he remarked, "does not appear to me to have been very happy in his choice of a solicitor.