What can you tell me about it ?" "Very little, except that I received it by the last post at my chambers in Lincoln's Inn Fields the night after Robert Turold's death." "But why did he send for you ?" "That I cannot even guess." "You surely must have some idea." "If I had I should be only too happy to assist the course of justice by imparting it to you." There was a dryness in the tone of this reply which warned Barrant that he had made a blunder in allowing his irritation to get the better of him.
But his private opinion was that the letter was the outcome of some secret of the dead man's which he had imparted to his lawyer.

He changed his mood with supple swiftness, in order to extract the information.
"This letter suggests certain things," he said, "some secret, perhaps, in Robert Turold's life, of which you may have some inkling.

If you will give me some hint as to what it was, it might be very helpful." "Unfortunately, I am as much in the dark as yourself," returned Mr.
Brimsdown, rubbing his brow thoughtfully.

"I cannot make the faintest guess at the reason which called forth this letter.

I know next to nothing of my late client's private life.