Perhaps three or four times in the last five
years."
"Asking for money?"
"Something of the sort. I don't think Mark always answered them.
As far as I know, he never sent any money."
"Now your own private opinion, Mr. Cayley. Do you think that
Mark was unfair to his brother? Unduly hard on him?"
"They'd never liked each other as boys. There was never any
affection between them. I don't know whose fault it was in the
first place--if anybody's."
"Still, Mark might have given him a hand?"
"I understand," said Cayley, "that Robert spent his whole life
asking for hands."
The inspector nodded.
"I know that sort. Well, now, we'll go on to this morning. This
letter that Mark got--did you see it?"
"Not at the time. He showed it to me afterwards."
"Any address?"
"No. A half-sheet of rather dirty paper."
"Where is it now?"
"I don't know. In Mark's pocket, I expect."
"Ah!" He pulled at his beard. "Well, we'll come to that. Can
you remember what it said?"
"As far as I remember, something like this: 'Mark, your loving
brother is coming to see you to-morrow, all the way from
Australia.
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