Jervis, you are a
treasure. Just look at it."
I glanced down the microscope, and then pulled out my watch. "Yes," I
said, "there is no doubt about it, I think; but I must be off. Anstey
urged me to be in court by 11.30 at the latest."
With infinite reluctance I collected my notes and papers and departed,
leaving Thorndyke diligently copying addresses out of the Post Office
Directory.
My business at the court detained me the whole of the day, and it was
near upon dinner-time when I reached our chambers. Thorndyke had not yet
come in, but he arrived half an hour later, tired and hungry, and not
very communicative.
"What have I done?" he repeated, in answer to my inquiries. "I have
walked miles of dirty pavement, and I have visited every pearl-shell
cutter's in London, with one exception, and I have not found what I
was looking for. The one mother-of-pearl factory that remains, however,
is the most likely, and I propose to look in there to-morrow morning.
Meanwhile, we have completed our data, with Polton's assistance. Here is
a tracing of our friend's skull taken from the mould; you see it is an
extreme type of brachycephalic skull, and markedly unsymmetrical.
Pages:
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163