ve suffered little or nothing, with snug little annuities of 50 pounds
or 60 pounds, does really seem to be a little too hard; at least so it
appears to be in the eyes of one who happens to have no interest
whatever in railways, save that general interest in their immense value
to the land, and their inestimable comforts in the matter of locomotion.

The whole subject of compensation stands at present on a false footing.
For the comfort of those who wish well to railways, and love justice, we
may add in conclusion, that proposals as to modifications have already
been mooted and brought before Government, so that in all probability,
ere long, impostors will receive a snubbing, and shareholders will
receive increased dividends!

But let us return to Mr Sharp. Having, as we have said, gone to his
office, he found his faithful servant Blunt there.

"Why, Blunt," he said, sitting down at the table and tearing open a few
letters that awaited him, "what a good-looking _porter_ you make!"

"So my wife says, sir," replied Blunt with a perfectly grave face, but
with a twinkle in his eye.

"She must be a discriminating woman, Blunt. Well, what news have you
to-night? You seemed to think you had found out the thieves at Gorton
Station the last time we met."

"So I have, sir, and there are more implicated than we had expected.
The place is a perfect nest of them."

"Not an uncommon state of things," observed Mr Sharp, "for it is
well-known that one black sheep spoils a flock. We must weed them all
out, Blunt, and get our garden into as tidy a condition as possible; it
is beginning to do us credit already, but that Gorton Station has
remained too long in a bad state; we must harrow it up a little. Well,
let's hear what you have found out. They never suspected you, I
suppose?"

"Never had the least suspicion," replied Blunt with a slight approach to
a smile. "I've lived with 'em, now, for a considerable time, and the
general opinion of 'em about me is that I'm a decent enough fellow, but
too slow and stupid to be trusted, so they have not, up to this time,
thought me worthy of being made a confidant. However, that didn't
matter much, 'cause I managed to get round one o' their wives at last,
and she let out the whole affair--in strict confidence, of course, and
as a dead secret!

"In fact I have just come from a long and interesting conversation with
her. She told me that all the men at the station, with one or two