lume of Gibbon’s great History, and found, between the seventy-

nfinitely varied in size, and cut with the smoothest precision. Having secured th

a suspicious thing. And what did suspicion suggest to the inquiring mind in South–W

e remarkable morsel of paper, and to discover the object with which the perforations had been made, the authority consulted proved to be worthy of the trust reposed in him. Dennis left t

from the paper to the clerk, and from the clerk to t

n a guess. The perforated paper looked, as he thought, like a Puzzle. “If we

r, a second letter made another audacious demand o

the town, posting the letter within half-a-minute’s walk of the bank! The contents presented an impenetrable mystery, the writing looked worthy of a madman. Sentences appeared in the wildest s

u saw on my bed, when I first sent for you. I found it waiting on

read as

ust to your good faith. As a test of this, I require you to fulfil the two conditions that follow — and to do it without the slightest loss of time. I dare not trust you yet with my address,

es of Gibson’s history. Sir Giles had already arrived at the conclusion that a conspiracy was in progress to assassinate him, and perhaps to rob the bank. The wiser head clerk pointed

do that?” the

odest reply, “if you see no obj

sed experiment, silently and sa

stly asking permission to try again, he ventured on the second occasion to arrive at a happy discovery. Lifting the perforated paper, he placed it delicately over the page which co

sitate to trust a man who is not yet able to admit you to his confidence. The perilous position in which I stand obliges me to ask for two or three da

clusive! The sooner I am under the care of the l

a word fi

hat you don’t

ean

ou as you get older. Never mind! Let’s have it out. Who do

e a disclosure to make in which one of the members of your family is seriously interested.” Dennis emphatically re

, on his side. “Why, man alive, what are you thinking

your bro

he way of the wretches who are thre

brother’s two

! not on a political errand. I hope, before long, to hear that he is going to be ma

hed to say, sir, that I was t

mless a young man as ever lived. The worst one can say of hi

y, where he is now. Nobody will venture to take his money. I met with one of

will be cured of his craze for farming; and he will com

!” the clerk

ered. “Have you heard something tha

rent. Mr. Arthur has taken what they call an evicted farm. It’s my firm belief,” said the head clerk, rising and speaking earnestly, “that the person who has addre

on, Dennis. If what you say is true, why didn’t the writer of tho

now, sir, that the writer of

d. And wha

tood to

make him stop where he is, and brave it out. Whereas you, sir, are known to be cautious and careful, and farseeing and discreet.” He might have added: And cowardly and obstinate, and narrow-minded and inflated by stupid self-esteem.

nated. That allusion to one of the members of my family is a mere equivocation, designed to throw me off my guard. Rank, money, social influence, un

was opened, from the outer side, before he had reached that

s to know, sir, if

surprised. He rose with a