she was roused by dixon\"s entrance into the room; she had just beenletting out mr. thornton.

he had hardly gone ten steps in the street, before a passing omnibusstopped close by him, and a man got down, and came up to him,touching his hat as he did so. it was the police-inspector.

mr. thornton had obtained for him his first situation in the police, andhad heard from time to time of the progress of his protege, but they hadnot often met, and at first mr. thornton did not remember him.

\"my name is watson--george watson, sir, that you got----\"

\"ah, yes! i recollect. why you are getting on famously, i hear.\"

\"yes, sir. i ought to thank you, sir. but it is on a little matter of businessi made so bold as to speak to you now. i believe you were themagistrate who attended to take down the deposition of a poor man whodied in the infirmary last night.\"

\"yes,\" replied mr. thornton. \"i went and heard some kind of a ramblingstatement, which the clerk said was of no great use. i\"m afraid he wasbut a drunken fellow, though there is no doubt he came to his death byviolence at last. one of my mother\"s servants was engaged to him, ibelieve, and she is in great distress to-day. what about him?\"

\"why, sir, his death is oddly mixed up with somebody in the house isaw you ing out of just now; it was a mr. hale\"s, i believe.\"

\"yes!\" said mr. thornton, turning sharp round and looking into theinspector\"s face with sudden interest. \"what about it?\"

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