d
with the circumstances, and ready and willing to answer any questions
relating to them. Old Sharon waited a little, smoking hard and thinking
hard. "Now, then!" he burst out in his fiercely sudden way. "I'm going
to get to the root of the matter."

He leaned forward with his elbows on the table, and began his
examination of Moody. Heartily as Mr. Troy despised and disliked the old
rogue, he listened with astonishment and admiration--literally extorted
from him by the marvelous ability with which the questions were adapted
to the end in view. In a quarter of an hour Old Sharon had extracted
from the witness everything, literally everything down to the smallest
detail, that Moody could tell him. Having now, in his own phrase,
"got to the root of the matter," he relighted his pipe with a grunt of
satisfaction, and laid himself back in his old armchair.

"Well?" said Mr. Troy. "Have you formed your opinion?"

"Yes; I've formed my opinion."

"What is it?"

Instead of replying, Old Sharon winked confidentially at Mr. Troy, and
put a question on his side.

"I say! is a ten-pound note much of an object to you?"

"It depends on what the money is wanted for," answered Mr. Troy.

"Look here," said Old Sharon; "I give you an opinion for your guinea;
but, mind this, it's an opinion founded on hearsay--and you know as a
lawyer what that is worth. Venture your ten pounds--in plain English,
pay me for my time and trouble in a baffling and difficult case--and
I'll give you an opinion founded on my own experience."

"Explain yourself a little more clearly," said Mr. Troy. "What do you
guarantee to tell us if we venture the ten pounds?"

"I guarantee to name the person, or the persons, on whom the suspicion
really rests. And if you employ me after that, I guarantee (before you
pay me a halfpenny more) to prove that I am right by laying my hand on
the thief."

"Let us have the guinea opinion first," said Mr. Troy.

Old Sharon made another frightful exhibition of the whole inside of his
mouth; his laugh was louder and fiercer than ever. "I like you!" he said
to Mr. Troy, "you are so devilish fond of your money. Lord! how rich you
must be! Now listen. Here's the guinea opinion: Suspect, in this case,
the very last person on whom suspicion could possibly fall."

Moody, listening attentively, started, and changed color at those last
words. Mr. Troy looked thoroughly disappointed and made no attempt to
conceal it.

"Is that