Clem tugged at his moustache and broke into a laugh. "I was never better in my life than at this moment; and as for overwork, if I had fifty more patients on my hands than I have, you would not hear a murmur of complaint." "But what about such patients as you have on your hands? Are you going to give them a chance of recovering while you are away?" "Not likely; that would never do. A friend of mine, Vallance by name, who happens just now to be on the lookout for a practice of his own, has offered to come and physic them during my absence." "Well, I hope you will have fine weather and enjoy yourself, although the majority of people, who, of course, don't know better, generally defer their holidays till July or August." "I am quite aware that you are dying to ask me my reasons for going away at this time of year, only your pride won't let you do so." "The self-conceit of some people is truly amazing. I curious to know your reasons! What next, pray?" "In any case, I'll take pity on you and tell you. Know, then, dearest, that the first aim and object which I have set before me is to hunt up that estimable but unaccountable person, Mr. Hodgson." "To hunt up Mr. Hodgson?" gasped Hermia. "But for what purpose? What will you gain by doing that?" "Whether I shall gain anything or nothing time alone can tell. In any case, when I have found him, I intend--metaphorically speaking--to grip him by the throat, and bid him stand and deliver. In other words, I mean to see what a personal interview will do towards wresting from him that secret--or, if not the secret itself, some clue to it, however faint--which I know you, my dear one, are so anxiously longing to fathom." Hermia did not speak, but her eyes flushed with tears. "It is quite possible that the old boy, when I tell him who I am, may refuse point-blank to discuss the matter with me. In that event I can't say what I shall do, or what course may seem best for me to follow. But the first thing to do is to find Mr. H. and tackle him." "My poor boy!" replied Hermia, with a pitying smile. "You seem to have forgotten one important fact, which is, that none of us, not even Uncle John himself, is acquainted with Mr. Hodgson's address, or has the remotest notion where to find him. Uncle's letter in reply to his was simply addressed to the care of a certain firm of solicitors in London. Of course, it is open to you to go to the firm in question, and ask them to oblige you with Mr. Hodgson's address; but is it not rather doubtful whether they would comply with your request?" "Very doubtful, indeed," responded Clem, dryly. "So much so, that I don't think I shall trouble myself to go near them. I've a better plan than that for arriving at what I want to know."