He went up to town by a train that arrived in good time to allow him to have a long afternoon with his friend, the junior partner in the great firm of solicitors who had “handled” some of the most interesting cases that had ever come before a court of law, and some still more interesting that they had succeeded in settling without such an appeal to the judgment of the goddess of Chance. Newspaper readers owed them more grudges than anyone had a notion of, for the persistence with which they accomplished settlements, thereby preventing the publication of columns of piquant details--piquant to a point of unsavouriness. The public, who like their game high and with plenty of seasoning--and the atmosphere of the Divorce Court is very conducive to the former condition--little knew what they lost through the exertions of Messrs. Liscomb and Liscomb; but Messrs. Liscomb and Liscomb knew, and so did many a superfluous husband and many a duplicated wife. But here was a case that could by no possibility be regarded as one that might be settled out of court. It was bound to move forward from stage to stage until it came before a judge. Mr. Reginald Liscomb saw that clearly when Jack had given him an outline of the case which had not yet advanced to the position of being a case, but which would do so the very next day, on being “stated” by Messrs. Liscomb and Liscomb to the eminent advisory counsel whom they kept constantly employed. “We have never had anything quite on all fours with this,” said the junior partner. “What we want is a decree of nullity--that’s plain enough. But shall we get it? Well, that’s not quite so plain. As a matter of fact several things may seem plain, but as a matter of law there’s nothing that can be so described. What’s the man going to do? Is he going to do anything? Does he fancy that there’s money in it? Did he suggest that when he came to you to-day? Mind you tell me everything. The man that conceals anything from his lawyer is as great a fool as the man that hides something from his doctor, only the lawyer is the more important. After all, your doctor only deals with your body and its ailments.” “Whereas you look after--no, not exactly one’s soul--one’s reputation--more important still,” said Jack. “You put it very well,” assented Mr. Liscomb modestly--as modestly as was consistent with an inherent desire for strict accuracy. “You compliment me,” said Jack. “You may be sure that I’ll keep nothing back--especially if it tells against the other man.” “Don’t bother about that so much as about what tells against yourself. At present what might tell against you is the indecent haste in the marriage--within three months of the report of the husband’s death by drowning. A judge may think that was not a sufficient time.” “But the man would not be more thoroughly dead at the end of a year than he would have been at the end of three months.”