THE TOOTH THEORY 81 



worsted in an encounter with a fine black cat that 

 resented the intrusion into its garden. Whether the 

 reverend gentleman was as solicitous as myself about 

 Orme I do not know, but I concluded that the time had 

 come for me to act after the manner of deputations to 

 thank John Porter and withdraw. 



"Well, good-bye, Mr Porter; we shall meet again at 

 Philippi." 



" Say rather at Epsom," answered he, with a twinkle 

 in his eye that spoke of no slight hope for Orme when 

 Derby Day arrives. 



During the seven miles' drive from Kingsclere to 

 Newbury station it occurred to me that Professor 

 Loeffler may all the time have been on the right track 

 in this extraordinary case. 



Orme, as anyone who has observed him closely must 

 have noticed, has a trick of sticking his tongue out of 

 one side of his mouth and restlessly moving it about 

 till he churns up a regular abundance of foam. This 

 he always does in the paddock before a race, and he 

 also does it, I fancy, when he goes up on the Downs to 

 exercise. 



Is it not conceivable that he may have, while doing 

 this, scratched his tongue on that decayed tooth, and 

 that the decayed matter, acting as an irritant, should 

 have set up all the local inflammation, blisters, etc ? 



I suggest this theory with the greatest deference, of 

 course, to the judgment of those who are in a better 

 position to form an opinion than I am ; but I have some 

 confidence that in this conspicuous and curious habit of 

 Orme I have found at least a clue to the mystery. Most 

 satisfactory would it be to all concerned if it could be 

 proved to demonstration that some such natural cause 



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