lips of that length. The trial part did not show a single
erratum. 'Hullo!' said I to myself; 'why, one side is printed more
carefully than the other.' And that was not natural. The printing of
advertisements is looked after quite as sharply as any other part in a
journal. Why, the advertisers themselves cry out if they are misprinted!"

"Oh, how shrewd!" cried Helen.

"Child's play," said the expert. "Well, from that blot I went on. I
looked at the edges, and they were cut too clean. A gentleman with a pair
of scissors can't cut slips out of a paper like this. They were cut in
the printer's office. Lastly, on holding them to the light, I found they
had not been machined upon the plan now adopted by all newspapers; but
worked by hand. In one word--forgeries!"

"Oh," said Helen, "to think I should have handled forgeries, and shown
them to you for real. Ah! I'm so glad; for now I have committed the same
crime as Robert Penfold; I have uttered a forged document. Take me up,
and have me put in prison, for I am as guilty as ever he was." Her face
shone with rapture at sharing Robert's guilt.

The expert was a little puzzled by sentiments so high-flown and
unpractical.

"I think," said he, "you are hardly aware what a valuable discovery this
may prove to you. However, the next step is to get me a specimen of the
person's handwriting who furnished you with these. The chances are he is
the writer of the forged note."

Helen uttered an exclamation that was almost a scream. The inference took
her quite by surprise. She looked at Mrs. Undercliff.

"He is right, I think," said the old lady.

"Right or wrong," said the expert, "the next step in the inquiry is to do
what I said. But that demands great caution. You must write a short civil
note to Mr. Hand, and just ask him some question. Let me see. Ask him
what newspapers his extracts are from, and whether he has got any more.
He will not tell you the truth; but no matter, we shall get hold of his
handwriting."

"But, sir," said Helen, "there is no need for that. Mr. Hand sent me a
note along with the extracts."

"The deuce he did. All the better. Any words in it that are in the forged
note? Is Penfold in it, or Wardlaw?"

Helen reflected a moment, and then said she thought both those names were
in it.

"Fetch me that note," said Undercliff, and his eyes sparkled. He was on a
hot scent now.

"And let me study the genuine reports, and compare what they say with the
f