‘I give up nothing and I assert nothing,’ said the superior attorney.  ’Whether the letter be genuine or not we had no reason to believe it to be otherwise.  The young gentleman’s signature is never very plain, and this one is about as like any other as that other would be like the last.’

‘Would you let me look at it again, Mr Bideawhile?’ Then the letter which had been very often inspected during the last ten days was handed to Mr Squercum.  ’It’s a stiff resemblance;—­such as he never could have written had he tried it ever so.’

’Perhaps not, Mr Squercum.  We are not generally on the look out for forgeries in letters from our clients or our clients’ sons.’

’Just so, Mr...