As for me, I sat before the two disputants, my hands in my pockets, listening, as if I were judge and jury all in one, to what each had to urge.
They were, of course, at absolutely opposite poles of thought.

One man was approaching the matter from one standpoint; the other from one diametrically opposed to it.

Mr.Portlethorpe was all for minimizing things, Mr.Lindsey all for taking the maximum attitude.

Mr.Portlethorpe said that even if we had not come to Edinburgh on a fool's errand--which appeared to be his secret and private notion--we had at any rate got the information which Mr.Lindsey wanted, and had far better go home now and attend to our proper business, which, he added, was not to pry and peep into other folks' affairs.

He was convinced that Sir Gilbert Carstairs was Sir Gilbert Carstairs, and that Mrs.Ralston's and Mr.Lindsey's suspicions were all wrong.