y?"

"As it happens, Crump isn't so well off as I am."

"Never mind. But I took it, and went home, and for two days I did not
look at it. And then there came an illness upon me, and I know not
what passed. But two men who had been hard on me came to the house
when I was out, and my wife was in a terrible state; and I gave her
the money, and she went into Silverbridge and paid them."

"And this cheque was with what you gave her?"

"No; I gave her money in notes,--just fifty pounds. When I gave
it her, I thought I gave it all; and yet afterwards I thought I
remembered that in my illness I had found the cheque with the dean's
money. But it was not so."

"You are sure of that?"

"He has said that he put five notes of L10 each into the cover, and
such notes I certainly gave to my wife."

"Where then did you get the cheque?" Mr. Crawley again paused
before he answered. "Surely, if you will exert your mind, you will
remember," said the lawyer. "Where did you get the cheque?"

"I do not know."

Mr. Toogood threw himself back in his chair, took his knee up into
his lap to nurse it, and began to think of it. He sat thinking of it
for some minutes without a word,--perhaps for five minutes, though
the time seemed to be much longer to Mr. Crawley, who was, however,
determined that he would not interrupt him. And Mr. Toogood's thoughts
were at variance with Mr. Toogood's former words. Perhaps, after all,
this scheme of Mr. Crawley's,--or perhaps the mode of defence on which
he had resolved without any scheme,--might be the best of which the
case admitted. It might be well that he should go into court without
a lawyer. "He has convinced me of his innocence," Mr. Toogood said to
himself, "and why should he not convince a jury? He has convinced me,
not because I am specially soft, or because I love the man,--for as
to that I dislike him rather than otherwise;--but because there is
either real truth in his words, or else so well-feigned a show of
truth that no jury can tell the difference. I think it is true. By
George, I think he did get the twenty pounds honestly, and that he
does not this moment know where he got it. He may have put his finger
into my eye; but, if so, why not also into the eyes of a jury?" Then
he released his leg, and spoke something of his thoughts aloud. "It's
a sad story," he said; "a very sad story."

"Well, yes, it's sad enough. If you could see my house, you'd say
so."

"I haven't a doubt but wha