Chapter VI

           Thenextday,thefriendandlegaladviserofAgnesLockwood,Mr.Troy,calledonherbyappointmentintheevening.

           Mrs.Ferrari—stillpersistingintheconvictionofherhusband’sdeath—hadsufficientlyrecoveredtobepresentattheconsultation.AssistedbyAgnes,shetoldthelawyerthelittlethatwasknownrelatingtoFerrari’sdisappearance,andthenproducedthecorrespondenceconnectedwiththatevent.Mr.Troyread(first)thethreelettersaddressedbyFerraritohiswife;(secondly)theletterwrittenbyFerrari’scourier-friend,describinghisvisittothepalaceandhisinterviewwithLadyMontbarry;and(thirdly)theonelineofanonymouswritingwhichhadaccompaniedtheextraordinarygiftofathousandpoundstoFerrari’swife.

           Wellknown,atalaterperiod,asthelawyerwhoactedforLadyLydiard,inthecaseoftheft,generallydescribedasthecaseof’MyLady’sMoney,’Mr.Troywasnotonlyamanoflearningandexperienceinhisprofession—hewasalsoamanwhohadseensomethingofsocietyathomeandabroad.Hepossessedakeeneyeforcharacter,aquainthumour,andakindlynaturewhichhadnotbeendeterioratedevenbyalawyer’sprofessionalexperienceofmankind.Withallthesepersonaladvantages,itisaquestion,nevertheless,whetherhewasthefittestadviserwhomAgnescouldhavechosenunderthecircumstances.LittleMrs.Ferrari,withmanydomesticmerits,wasanessentiallycommonplacewoman.Mr.Troywasthelastpersonlivingwhowaslikelytoattracthersympathies—hewastheexactoppositeofacommonplaceman.