And Smeaton saw us look at each other, and he smiled and went on.
"I was thinking all this out last night," he said, "and it came to me--I wonder if that man, John Phillips, who had, as I hear, my name and address in his pocket, could have been some man who was coming to see me on my father's behalf, or--it's an odd thing to fancy, and, considering what's happened him, not a pleasant one!--could have been my father himself ?" There was silence amongst us for a moment.

This was a new vista down which we were looking, and it was full of thick shadow.

As for me, I began to recollect things.

According to the evidence which Chisholm had got from the British Linen Bank at Peebles, John Phillips had certainly come from Panama.

Just as certainly he had made for Tweedside.