forwards with his fingers.

"Hawkesbury," said Mr Merrett, as he re-entered, "you might leave us,
please. I will call you when you are wanted."

Hawkesbury, without looking at me, rose to obey. As he reached the
door, Mr Merrett stepped after him, and whispered something. At
ordinary times I should not have heard what he whispered, or thought of
listening for it. But there was such a silence in the room, and my
nerves were strung up to such a pitch, that I distinctly caught the
words.

What I heard was this--

"Fetch a policeman!"

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.

HOW HAWKESBURY AND I SPENT A MORNING IN THE PARTNERS' ROOM.

"Fetch a policeman!" The truth flashed across me as I heard the words.
Instead of standing here an accuser, I stood the accused. Hawkesbury
had been before me with a vengeance!

The very shock of the discovery called back the presence of mind, which,
on my first summons, I had almost lost. I was determined at least that
nothing I should do or say would lend colour to the false charge against
me.

"Batchelor," said Mr Merrett, after Hawkesbury had gone and the door
was locked--"Batchelor, we have sent for you here under very painful
circumstances. You doubtless know why."

"I must ask you to tell me, sir," I replied, respectfully, but with a
tremble in my voice which I would have given anything to conceal.

"I will tell you," said Mr Merrett, "when you have first told Mr
Barnacle and me what you have been doing since eight o'clock this
morning."

"And let me advise you," said Mr Barnacle, looking up, "to tell the
truth."

"I certainly will tell the truth," I began.

What possessed that unlucky voice of mine to quaver in the way it did?
Those few words, I was convinced, would tell more against me than the
most circumstantial narrative. I clutched hold of the back of a chair
near me, and made a desperate effort to steady myself as I proceeded. I
gave an exact account of everything that had happened since I entered
the office that morning, omitting nothing, glossing over nothing,
shirking nothing. They both listened attentively, eyeing me keenly all
the time, and betraying no sign in their faces whether they believed me
or not.

"Then you mean to say," said Mr Merrett, when it was done, "that you
were not in this room at all?"

"Yes, I never entered it."

"Were you ever in this room without our knowledge?"

"Yes, a fortnight ago. Smith and I were here early, and hearing a