It was very trifling; not more than commonly occurs when a man begins to grow old, especially if there is some failure of eyesight." "Was Mr.Jeffrey's eyesight failing ?" asked Thorndyke.
"Yes, it was, undoubtedly," said Stephen.

"He was practically blind in one eye and, in the very last letter that I ever had from him, he mentioned that there were signs of commencing cataract in the other." "You spoke of his pension.

He continued to draw that regularly ?" "Yes; he drew his allowance every month, or rather, his bankers drew it for him.

They had been accustomed to do so when he was abroad, and the authorities seem to have allowed the practice to continue." Thorndyke reflected a while, running his eye over the notes on the slips of paper in his hand, and Marchmont surveyed him with a malicious smile.
Presently the latter remarked: "Methinks the learned counsel is floored." Thorndyke laughed.

"It seems to me," he retorted, "that your proceedings are rather like those of the amiable individual who offered the bear a flint pebble, that he might crack it and extract the kernel.