But it can hardly have been quite sudden and unforeseen." "I should think not," Thorndyke agreed.

"A sudden slump often proves disastrous to the regular Stock Exchange gambler who is paying differences on large quantities of unpaid-for stock.

But it looks as if Hornby had actually bought and paid for these mines, treating them as investments rather than speculations, in which case the depreciation would not have affected him in the same way.

It would be interesting to know for certain." "It might have a considerable bearing on the present case, might it not ?" "Undoubtedly," said Thorndyke.

"It might bear on the case in more ways than one.