but, indeed, if you are trivial, i cannot blame you, for the days of the great cases are past. man, or at least criminal man, has lost all enterprise and originality. as to my own little practice, it seems to be degenerating into an agency for recovering lost lead pencils and giving advice to young ladies from boarding-schools. i think that i have touched bottom at last, however. this note i had this morning marks my zero-point, i fancy. read it!" he tossed a crumpled letter across to me.