"We shall never know, unless somebody comes forward and tells us. I trace the usual expenditures of a publican and other expenses. He always kept a good horse or two, and he rode to hounds until latterly, and subscribed to several hunts. He was foolishly generous at all times. I see that he gave away large sums anonymously--but unfortunately they were not his own. There is no doubt that his judgment failed completely of late years. He was so accustomed to success that he had no experience of failure, and when inevitable failures came, they found him quite unprepared with any reserves against them. To stem the tide he gambled, and when his speculations miscarried, he waded still more deeply. He was engaged in borrowing a large sum of money just before his final illness. Indeed, he came to me for it, for he kept me quite in the dark concerning existing mortgages on his property. But he forgot I should want the title-deeds. He was a devious man, but I shall always believe that he lacked moral understanding to know the terrible gravity of the things he did." "How do we stand now?" "The estate is from six thousand to seven thousand pounds to the bad." "What is there against that?" "The assets are practically nil. About forty pounds at the bank, and the furniture at 'The White Thorn' Inn. Of course, his largest creditor will be Mr. Ned Baskerville, of Cadworthy Farm. I want to say, by the way, that this state of things is quite as much of a surprise to me as to anybody. It is true that I have been his solicitor for twenty years, but my work was nominal. I had no knowledge whatever of his affairs. He never consulted me when in difficulties, or invited my opinion on any subject." "What about the Linterns?" "They have asked to stop at Undershaugh for the present. I fancy Mrs. Lintern was a close friend of your brother's. However, she is not communicative. The mortgagee in that case, of course, forecloses, and will, I think, be contented to let Mrs. Lintern stop where she is." "There was no will?" "I can find none." "Yet I know very well he made one ten years ago. At least, he came to me once rather full of it." "It is very likely that he destroyed it." There was a silence; then Humphrey Baskerville asked a question. "Well, what d'you want of me?" The other shrugged his shoulders. "I leave that to you. You know how much or how little you regard this disaster as a personal one." "It has nothing whatever to do with me. I never lent him a penny. He never asked me to do so." "You don't recognise any obligation?" "Absolutely not a shadow of any such thing." "The family of which you are now head----?" "A sentimental lawyer!" The other laughed. "Not much room for sentimentality--at least, plenty of room, no doubt. Of course, if you don't consider----" He broke off, but his listener did not speak. "It is to be understood I must not ask you to help me?"