ulated any other bills made by the same drawer?"

"O yes!" said the draper, without hesitation; "I have paid away a bill
for one hundred pounds to Mr. Sparkle, the jeweller, to whom Miss Snape
owed twenty pounds. They gave me the difference."

"And how long has that bill to run now?"

"About a fortnight."

"Did you indorse it?"

"I did. Mr. Sparkle required me to do so, to show that the bill came
properly into his possession."

"This second bill, you say is urgently required to enable Miss Snape to
leave town?"

"Yes; she is going to Brighton for the winter."

I gave Mr. Axminster a steady, piercing look of inquiry. "Pray, sir," I
said, "could you meet that one hundred pounds bill, supposing it could
not be paid by the accepter?"

"Meet it!" The poor fellow wiped from his forehead the perspiration which
suddenly broke out at the bare hint of a probability that the bill would
be dishonored--"Meet it? O no! I am a married man, with a family, and
have nothing but my salary to depend on."

"Then the sooner you get it taken up, and the less you have to do with
Miss Snape's bill affairs, the better."

"She has always been punctual hitherto."

"That may be." I pointed to the cross-writing on the document, and said
deliberately, "_This_ bill is a forgery!"

At these words the poor man turned pale. He snatched up the document, and
with many incoherent protestations, was rushing toward the door, when I
called to him in an authoritative tone, to stop. He paused--his manner
indicating not only doubt, but fear. I said to him, "Don't flurry
yourself; I only want to serve you. You tell me that you are a married
man, with children, dependent on daily labor for daily bread, and that
you have done a little discounting for Miss Snape, out of your earnings.
Now, although I am a bill-discounter, I don't like to see such men
victimized. Look at the body of this bill--look at the signature of your
lady-customer, the drawer. Don't you detect the same fine, thin,
sharp-pointed handwriting in the words 'Accepted, Dymmock Munge." The
man, convinced against his will, was at first overcome. When he
recovered, he raved; he would expose the Honorable Miss Snape, if it cost
him his bread--he would go at once to the police office. I stopped him,
by saying roughly, "Don't be a fool! Any such steps would seal your ruin.
Take my advice; return the bill to the lady, saying, simply, that you
cannot get it discounted. Leave the rest to me, an