'" He crossed suddenly to the safe, and bending over
it, examined the handle and doors critically. And at the moment Mr.
Brent reappeared. Cleek switched round upon his heel, and smiled across
at him.

"Able to spare us a little more of your valuable time, Mr. Brent?" he
said politely. "Well, I was just coming up. There's nothing really to be
gained here. I have been looking over the safe for finger-prints, and
there's not much doubt about whose they are. Mr. Wilson here had better
come upstairs and tell us just exactly what he did with the notes,
and--"

Young Wilson's face went suddenly gray. He clenched his hands together
and breathed hard like a spent runner.

"I tell you, they were gone," he cried desperately. "They were gone. I
looked for them, and didn't find them. They were gone--gone--gone!"

But Cleek seemed not to take the slightest notice of him, and swinging
upon his heel followed in the wake of the manager's broad back, while
Wilson perforce had to return with Mr. Narkom. Half way up the stairs,
however, Cleek suddenly stopped, and gave vent to a hurried ejaculation.

"Silly idiot that I am!" he said crossly. "I have left my magnifying
glass on top of the safe--and it's the most necessary tool we policemen
have. Don't bother to come, Mr. Brent, if you'll just lend me the keys
of the vault. Thanks, I'll be right back."

It was certainly not much more than a moment when he did return, and the
other members of the little party had barely reached the private office
when he fairly rushed in after them. There was a look of supreme
satisfaction in his eyes.

"Here it is," he said, lifting the glass up for all to see. "And look
here, Mr. Brent, I've changed my mind about discussing the matter any
further here. The best thing you can do is to go down in a cab with Mr.
Narkom to the police station, and get a warrant for this young man's
arrest--no, don't speak, Mr. Wilson, I've not finished yet--and take him
along with you. I will stay here and just scribble down the facts. It'll
save no end of bother, and we can take our man straight up to London
with us, under proper arrest. I shan't be more than ten minutes at the
most."

Mr. Brent nodded assent.

"As you please, Mr. Headland," he said gravely. "We'll go along at once.
Wilson, you understand you are to come with us? It's no use trying to
get away from it, man, you're up against it now. You'd better just keep
a stiff upper lip and face the music. I'm re