Dr Congleton, the proprietor and physician of Clankwood, was a gentleman singularly well fitted to act as host on the occasion of asylum reunions. No one could exceed him in the respect he showed to a coroneted head, even when cracked; and a bishop under his charge was always secured, as far as possible, from the least whisper of heretical conversation. He possessed besides a pleasant rubicund countenance and an immaculate wardrobe. He was further fortunate in having in his assistants, Dr Escott and Dr Sherlaw, two young gentlemen whose medical knowledge was almost equal to the affability of their manners and the excellence of their family connections.
One November night these two were sitting over a comfortable fire in Sherlaw's room. Twelve o'clock struck, Escott finished the remains of something in a tumbler, rose, and yawned sleepily.
"I suppose it is," replied Sherlaw, a very pleasant and boyish young gentleman. "Hullo! What's that? A cab?"
They both listened, and some way off they could just pick out a sound like wheels upon gravel.
"It's very late for any one to be coming in," said Escott.
The sound grew clearer and more unmistakably like a cab rattling quickly up the drive.
They heard it draw up before the front door, and then there came a pause.
"Who the deuce can it be?" muttered Escott.
In a few minutes there came a knock at the door, and a servant entered.
"A new case, sir. Want's to see Dr Congleton particular."
"All right," growled Sherlaw. "I'll come, confound him."
"Bad luck, old man," laughed Escott. "I'll wait here in case by any chance you want me."
He fell into his chair again, lit a cigarette, and sleepily turned over the pages of a book. Dr Sherlaw was away for a little time, and when he returned his cheerful face wore a somewhat mystified expression.
"Rather a rum case," said his colleague, thoughtfully.
"Well," said Sherlaw, drawing his chair up to the fire again, "I'll tell you just what did happen, and you can make what you can out of it. Of course, I suppose it's all right, really, but--well, the proceedings were a little unusual, don't you know.
"I went down to the door, and there I found a four-wheeler with a man standing beside it. The door of the cab was shut, and there seemed to be two more men inside. This chap who'd got out--a youngish man--hailed me at once as though he'd bought the whole place.