"From the time
you left the office yourself, sir, until after the letters were taken
out of it to be posted, he was away from it."
"Just like him!" exclaimed Mr. Galloway. "It must have been done while
your brother Hamish was waiting in the office. We must ascertain from
him who came in."
"He told me no one came in," repeated Arthur.
"Rubbish!" testily observed Mr. Galloway. "Some one must have come in;
some one with light fingers, too! the money could not go without hands.
You are off to college now, I suppose, Channing?"
"Yes, sir."
"When service is over, just go down as far as your brother's office,
and ask him about it."
"He is as obstinate as any old adder!" exclaimed Roland Yorke to
Arthur, when they left Mr. Galloway alone. "The only possible way in
which it can have gone, is through that post-office. The men have
forked it; as they did Lady Augusta's pills."
"He says it was not the post-office," mused Arthur. "He said--as I
understood--that the telegraphic despatch proved to him that it had
been taken out here."
"What an idiot you are!" ejaculated Roland. "How _could_ a despatch
tell him who took it, or who did not?--unless it was a despatch from
those spirit-rappers--mesmerists, or whatever they call themselves.
They profess to show you who your grandmother was, if you don't know!"
Roland laughed as he spoke. Arthur was not inclined for joking; the
affair perplexed him in no ordinary degree.
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