hard, keen, watchful lawyer.

"A disclosure that nearly affects the character of Mr. Archibald
Douglas," proceeded Julius.

"May I ask what this may be?"

"Mr. Gadley then informed me that he had been in the outer room,
behind his desk, at the time when Mr. Douglas brought in the letter
from my mother, containing the missing cheque, and that after
Douglas was gone, he heard Mr. Vivian propose to those within to
appropriate the amount to their own debts."

"Pardon me, Mr. Charnock, this is a very serious charge to bring on
the authority of a man in a raving fever. Was any deposition taken
before a magistrate?"

"No," said Julius. "Mr. Lipscombe was fetched, but he was unable to
speak at the time. However, on reviving, he spoke as is thus
attested," and he showed Herbert Bowater's slip of paper.

"Mr. Charnock," said Mr. Moy, "without the slightest imputation on
the intentions of yourself or of young Mr. Bowater, I put it to
yourself and Captain Charnock Poynsett, whether you could go before
a jury with no fuller attestation than you have in your hand. We
know what Mr. Charnock and Mr. Bowater are. To a jury they would
simply appear--pardon me--a young clergyman, his still more youthful
curate, and a sister of mercy, attaching importance to the words of
a delirious man; and juries have become very incredulous in such
cases."

"We shall see that," said Miles sharply.

"The more cautious," added Mr. Moy, "when it is the raking up of a
matter eleven years old, where the witnesses are mostly dead, and
where the characters of two gentlemen, also deceased, would be
implicated. Believe me, sir, this firm--I speak as its present
head--will be rejoiced to make any compensation to Mrs. Poynsett for
what went astray while coming to their hands. It has been our
desire to do so from the very first, as letters of which I have
copies testify; but our advances were met in a spirit of enmity,
which may perhaps be laid aside now."

"No so-called compensation can be accepted, but the clearing of
Douglas's character," said Miles.

"It is a generous feeling," said Mr. Moy, speaking apparently most
dispassionately, though Julius saw his hands trembling below the
table; "but even if the word of this delirious man were sufficient,
have you reflected, Captain Charnock Poynsett, on the unequal
benefit of justifying--allowing that you could justify--a young man
who has been dead and forgotten these eleven years, and has no
rel