The number of the note was, one, one, one, seven.
I have it written here in my note-book. I traced the note to Dawson's,
round the corner, and they can swear, if necessary, in a court of
justice, that you gave it to them in exchange for some yards of black
silk. By the way, I believe that is the very identical silk you have
on you this minute. Oh, fie, Louisa! you are a bad 'un.'

"She turned white as one of them egg-shell china cups, and she put her
hands before her eyes, and her hands shook. And after a bit she said:

"'Oh, George, don't have me locked up, and I'll tell you everything."

"'Well, you'll have to put it in writing,' I said, 'or I won't have a
crumb of mercy on you.'

"So I got the story out of her, Jim. It seems the note had never been
dropped into the till at all, but had fallen on the floor just by the
manager's desk, and Louisa had seen it and picked it up, and she
confessed to hoping that Alison would be charged with it. Here's her
confession in this envelope, signed and witnessed and all. So now, you
can marry her come Thursday ef you like."

Sampson got up and stretched himself as he spoke.

Jim's face, which had turned from red to white, and from white again to
crimson, during this brief narrative, was now stern and dark.

"I am obliged to you, Sampson," he said, after a pause.

"What will you do?" asked the detective, with some curiosity. "I see
this is a bit of a blow, and I am not surprised; but what will you do?"

"I can't tell. I must think things over. Do you say you have the
confession in your pocket?"

"Yes; in my breast pocket. Here is the envelope sticking out above my
coat."

"Give it to me," said Jim, stretching out his big hand.

"Not I. That's my affair. I can make use of this. Why, I could hold
a thing of this sort over the head of your fair bride, and blackmail
her, if necessary."

"No, no, Sampson; you are not a ruffian, of that sort."

George Sampson suddenly changed his manner.

"As far as you are concerned, Jim, I am no ruffian," he said. "To tell
the plain truth, I have always liked yer, and I'll act by you as
straight as a die in this matter. If you never do anything else,
you've saved me from being the husband of that gel, and I'll be
thankful to you for it to my dying day. But for the Lord's sake, don't
you put yourself into the noose now. You can't be so mad, surely."

"Leave me for to-night, Sampson," said Jim in a voice of entreaty.