Page 91 (1/1)

"So the game has opened," observed Thorndyke, as he struck a un with a cautious lead off by the other side Very cautious, and not very confident"

"Why do you say 'not very confident'?" I asked

"Well, it is evident that Hurst--and, I fancy, Jellicoe too--is anxious to buy off Bellingha price, under the circuhaainst the presumption of his brother's death, it looks as if Hurst hadn't much to say on his side"

"No," said Jervis, "he can't holdto pay four hundred a year for his opponent's chance; and that is just as well, for it seems to me that our own hand is a pretty poor one"

"We h our hand and see e do hold," said Thorndyke "Our trump card at present--a rather small one, I am afraid--is the obvious intention of the testator that the bulk of the property should go to his brother"

"I suppose you will begin your inquiries now," said I

"We began theht us the will, in fact Jervis has been through the registers and has ascertained that no interham has taken place since the disappearance; which was just e expected He has also discovered that soain, is e expected"

"And your own investigations?"

"Have given negative results for the most part I found Doctor Norbury, at the British Museum, very friendly and helpful; so friendly, in fact, that I a whether I may not be able to enlist his help in certain private researches of es effected by time in the physical properties of certain substances"

"Oh; you haven't told me about that," said Jervis

"No: I haven't really commenced to planwhen I do It occurred to me that, possibly, in the course of tiht take place in substances such as wood, bone, pottery, stucco, and other coht alter their power of conducting or trans molecular vibrations Now, if this should turn out to be the case, it would be a fact of considerable ial and otherwise; for it would be possible to detere of any object of known coht and otherDoctor Norbury's assistance because he can furnish e that the reactions, if any, should be extremely easy to demonstrate But to return to our case I learned froham had certain friends in Paris--collectors andfor the purpose of study and exchange of specimens I have made inquiries of all of these, and none of the his last visit In fact, I have not yet discovered anyone who had seen Bellingham in Paris on this occasion So his visit there remains a mystery for the present"