umph!" broke in Mr. Sylvester, "if this is true, why didn't Hopgood
inform me of the matter when I questioned him so closely?"

"Because he had forgotten the circumstance. He was in a fever at the
time, and having eventually unlocked the vault himself, lost sight of
the fact that he had previously sent his wife to do it. He went back to
his bed after the clerks came in, and did not get up again till night.
He may have thought the whole occurrence part of the delirium which more
than once assailed him that day."

"I remember his being sick," said Bertram; "it was two or three days
before the robbery."

"The very day before," corrected the man; "but let me tell my story in
my own way. Having learned from Mrs. Hopgood of this opportunity which
had been given to Fanning, I made up my mind to sift the matter. Being
as I have said a friend of his, I didn't, want to peach on him unless he
was guilty. To blast an honest man's reputation, is, I think, one of the
meanest tricks of which a fellow can be guilty: but the truth I had to
know, and in order to learn it, a deep and delicate game was necessary.
Gentlemen, when the police have strong suspicions against a person whose
reputation is above reproach and whose conduct affords no opportunity
for impeachment, they set a springe for him. One of their number
disguises himself, and making the acquaintance of this person,
insinuates himself by slow degrees--often at the cost of months of
effort--into his friendship and if possible into his confidence. 'Tis a
detestable piece of business, but it is all that will serve in some
cases, and has at least the merit of being as dangerous as it is
detestable. This plan, I undertook with Fanning. Changing my appearance
to suit the necessities of the case, I took board in the small house in
Brooklyn where he puts up, and being well acquainted with his tastes,
knew how to adapt myself to his liking. He was a busy man, and being
obliged by his duties to turn night into day, had not much time to
bestow upon me or any one else; but heedful of this, I managed to make
the most of the spare moments that saw us together, and ere long we were
very good comrades, and further on, very good friends. The day when I
first ventured to suggest that honesty was all very well as long as it
paid, was a memorable one to me. In that cast of the die I was either to
win or lose the game I had undertaken. I won. After a feint or two, to
see if I were in earnest, he