'That's very sweet of you. As it happened, no sooner did I appear at my old quarters than Mrs Flickers produced a letter which had arrived for me--she did not know how long ago, and which she had not known what to do with. It turned out to be an intimation from Collyer that that my uncle had died on the 23rd of February, the very day on which, out on the veldt, I had seen him assaulted by that unknown individual upon that flight of steps.' 'Guy, is this a ghost story you have been telling me? I don't want to be absurd, but it really does look as if it were a case of the hand of destiny.' 'I don't know about the hand of destiny, but it does look as if it were a case of something.' 'I shouldn't be surprised if, after all, the old reprobate has left you some of his money.' 'Nor I. Oh, Letty, if he has! We'll be married on Monday.' 'As this is Friday, couldn't you make it Sunday? Monday seems such a long way off. My dear Guy, first of all interview Mr Samuel Collyer. Then you'll learn the worst.' 'I am going to. Of course I had to see you first--' 'Of course.' 'But I wired to him that I'd call this afternoon.' 'Then call.' And Mr Holland called. CHAPTER II THE QUEST ORDAINED Mr Collyer's offices were in Pump Court, first floor front. Mr Samuel Collyer was a somewhat short and pursy gentleman of about fifty years of age, with a clean-shaven face, and a manner which gave such a varying complexion to the words he used as to cause it sometimes to be very difficult to make out exactly what it was he meant; an extremely useful manner for a solicitor to have. As with alert, swinging stride Mr Holland entered, Mr Collyer rose, greeting him with his usual stolid air, as if he had just looked in from across the road, instead of from the wilds of Africa. 'Good morning, Mr Guy. You're looking very brown.' 'Yes, I--I'm feeling very brown.' The words seemed to come from him almost before he knew it, on the spur of the moment, as if the presence of a third person lent them a special significance. Reclining in the only armchair the room contained was a young gentleman of about Mr Holland's own age. He was well dressed, good looking, very much at his ease, and he regarded Mr Holland with a suggestion of amusement which seemed somehow to be very much in character. 'In questions of feeling is brown the equivalent of blue?' Mr Holland's bearing was not so genial as the other's. 'I did not expect to see you here.' 'Nor, my dear Guy, did I expect to see you. I did not even wish to.' 'That I can easily believe.' 'It is Mr Collyer's fault that I am here, not mine. I should have been content never to set eyes on you again; and as for being in the same room with you--'