The shop was a double shop, resembling Salmon's at South Crabb in shape and arrangements. The drugs and chemicals were on the left-hand side as you entered; the miscellaneous wares on the other. Horse and cattle medicines were kept with the drugs: and other things too numerous to mention, such as pearl barley, pickles, and fish-sauce. The girl, Margaret Rymer, was serving a woman with a pennyworth of writing-paper when we went in, and a postage-stamp. Tod asked for Mr. Rymer. He came forward from the little parlour, at one end of which was the desk where he did his postal work. Upon Tod's saying that we wished to speak with him privately, he took us into the parlour. As we sat down opposite to him, I could not help thinking what a nice face he had. It was getting very careworn. A stranger would have given him more than his forty-five years: though the bright brown hair was abundant still. Tod told his story. The chemist looked thoroughly surprised, but open and upright as the day. I saw at once that no fault attached to him. "A bank-note exchanged as it passed through the post!" he exclaimed. "But, Mr. Joseph Todhetley, the thing appears impossible." "It appears so," said Tod. "I was just as unwilling to believe it at first: but facts are facts." "I cannot see the motive," said Rymer. "Why should one bank-note be taken out of a letter, if another were substituted?" Tod looked at me. Wanting to say that the other was a stolen note, and was no doubt put in to be got rid of. But the Squire had bound us down. "Had the note been simply abstracted from the letter, we should be at no loss to understand that a thief had helped himself to it; but a thief would not put another note of the same value in its place," went on Rymer. "Well, the facts are as I tell you, Mr. Rymer," returned Tod, impatient at being trammelled and having to tell so lame a tale. "One bank-note was taken out of the letter and another put in its place. We want you to help us unravel the mystery." "I will help you to the utmost of my power," was Rymer's answer. "But--are you sure you have told me the circumstances correctly?" "Quite sure," answered Tod. "The thing was done between Worcester post-office and our house. How it was done, and by whom, is the question." "You enclosed the note in the letter yourself at Worcester on Wednesday afternoon, and put it into the post-office: when we delivered the letter at Crabb Cot yesterday morning, you found the note inside had been taken out and another put in? These are the circumstances?" "Precisely so. Except that it was not I who enclosed the note and took down its number, but Johnny Ludlow. The Worcester office disclaims all knowledge of the matter, and so we are thrown on this side of the journey. Did you go to the station yourself for the letter-bag, Rymer?"