"I hope you will pardon me for reverting to my first opinion, Mr. Todhetley," he said, turning to Tod--"but indeed I think there must be some mistake. Mrs. Rymer may be right--that the note found in the letter was the one put into it." Tod flung away. The facts he had obstinately refused to believe at first, he had so fully adopted now, that any other opinion offended him. He was in a passion when I caught him up. "To think that the pater should have sent us there like two fools, Johnny! Closing our mouths so that we could not speak the truth." "Rymer only three parts believes it. His wife not at all." "His wife be sugared! It's nothing to her. And all through the suggestion of that precious calf, Cole. Johnny, I think I shall act on my own judgment, and go back and tell Rymer the note was a stolen one." "The pater told us not to." "Stuff! Circumstances alter cases. He would have told it himself before he had been with Rymer two minutes. The man's hands are partly tied, you see; knowing only half the tale." "Well, _I_ won't tell him." "Nobody asked you. Here goes. And the Squire will say I've done right." Rymer was standing at his door still. The shop was empty, and there were no ears near. Tod lowered his voice, though. "The truth is, Mr. Rymer, that the note, substituted in the letter for ours, was one of those two lost by the butcher at Tewkesbury. I conclude you heard of the robbery." "One of those two!" exclaimed Rymer. "Yes: Salmon at South Crabb recognized it yesterday when we were asking him to give change for it." "But why not have told me this at once, Mr. Joseph?" "Because the Squire and Cole, laying their wise heads together this morning, thought it might be better not to let that get abroad: it would put people on their guard, they said. You see now where the motive lay for exchanging the notes." "Of course I do," said Mr. Rymer in his quiet way. "But it is very unaccountable. I cannot imagine where the treason lies." "Not on this side, seemingly," remarked Tod: "The letter appears to have passed through no one's hands but Lee's: and he is safe." "Safe and sure. It must have been accomplished at Worcester. Or--in the railway train," he slowly added. "I have heard of such things." "You had better keep counsel at present as to the stolen note, Mr. Rymer." "I will until you give me leave to speak. All I can do to assist in the discovery is heartily at Squire Todhetley's service. I'd transport these rogues, for my part." We carried our report home--that the thing had not been, and could not have been, effected on the Timberdale side, unless old Lee was to be suspected: which was out of the question. * * * * *