THE DOUBLE ALIBI 167 



game. He resigned his fellowship ; he took his 

 name off the books ; he disappeared. 



There was a good deal of talk ; people spoke 

 about the unscrupulousness of collectors, and re- 

 peated old anecdotes on that subject. Then the 

 business was forgotten. Next, in a year's time or 

 so, the book the confounded Longepicrre's Theo- 

 critus was found in a pawnbroker's shop. The 

 history of its adventures was traced beyond a 

 shadow of doubt. It had been very adroitly stolen, 

 and disposed of, by a notorious book-thief, a 

 gentleman by birth now dead, but well remem- 

 bered. Ask Mr. Quaritch ! 



Allen's absolute innocence was thus demon- 

 strated beyond cavil, though nobody paid any 

 particular attention to the demonstration. As for 

 Allen, he had vanished ; he was heard of no more. 



He was here ; dying here, beside the black wave 

 of lone Loch Nan. 



All this, so long in the telling, I had time 

 enough to think over, as I sat and watched him, 

 and wiped his lips with water from the burn, clearer 

 and sweeter than the water of the loch. 



