CHAPTER XV.
Thorndyke Explodes the Mine We had not been back in our chambers more than a few minutes when the little brass knocker on the inner door rattled out its summons.
Thorndyke himself opened the door, and, finding our three expected visitors on the threshold, he admitted them and closed the "oak." "We have accepted your invitation, you see," said Marchmont, whose manner was now a little flurried and uneasy.

"This is my partner, Mr.
Winwood; you haven't met before, I think.

Well, we thought we should like to hear some further particulars from you, as we could not quite understand your letter." "My conclusion, I suppose," said Thorndyke, "was a little unexpected ?" "It was more than that, sir," exclaimed Winwood.

"It was absolutely irreconcilable either with the facts of the case or with common physical possibilities." "At the first glance," Thorndyke agreed, "it would probably have that appearance." "It has that appearance still to me." said Winwood, growing suddenly red and wrathful, "and I may say that I speak as a solicitor who was practising in the law when you were an infant in arms.

You tell us, sir, that this will is a forgery; this will, which was executed in broad daylight in the presence of two unimpeachable witnesses who have sworn, not only to their signatures and the contents of the document, but to their very finger-marks on the paper.