"It all comes of that advertisement you put in, Squire," finished up Cripp, by way of consolation. "The swell-mob would not have known there was a valuable jewel missing but for that, or the address of those who had missed it." The pater came home more crestfallen than a whipped schoolboy, after leaving stringent orders with Cripp and his men to track out the swindler. It was a blow to all of us. "I said he looked as much like a detective as I'm like a Dutchman," quoth Tod. "Well, it's frightfully mortifying," said the Squire. "And the way he polished off that beef, and drank down the ale! I wonder he did not contrive to walk off with the silver tankard!" "Be quiet, Joe! You are laughing, sir! Do you think it is a laughing matter?" "Well, I don't know," said bold Tod. "It was cleverly done." Up rose the pater in a passion. Vowing vengeance against the swindlers who went about the world, got up in good clothes and a moustache; and heartily promising the absent and unconscious Cripp to be down upon him if he did not speedily run the man to earth. And that's how Mrs. Todhetley lost the other earring. IX. A TALE OF SIN. +Part the first.+ If I don't relate this quite as usual, and it is found to be different from what I generally write, it is because I know less about it than others know. The history is Duffham's; not mine. And there are diaries in it, and all kinds of foreign things. That is, foreign to me. Duffham holds all the papers, and has lent them to me to use. It came about in this way. "Whilst you are picking up the sea-breezes, Johnny," he said, when I called to tell him where I was going, "you can be getting on with another paper or two for us, I hope; for we like your stories." "But I am going away for a rest, Mr. Duffham; not to work. I don't want to be ransacking memory for materials during any holiday, and then weaving them into what you call a story. Much rest that would be!" "I'll give you the materials for one," he said; "plenty of them: it won't take much weaving; you'll have it all before your eyes. It will be nothing but play-work to you; just a bit of copying." "But I don't care to put fiction on paper and send it forth as though it were true. What I tell of has mostly happened, you know." Duffham laughed a little. "If everything told in print were as true as this, Johnny Ludlow, the world would have witnessed some strange events. Not that you'll find anything strange in this tale: it is quite matter-of-fact. There's no romance about it; nothing but stern reality." "Well, let me see the papers." Duffham went out of the surgery, and came back with his spectacles on, and carrying some papers tied up with pink tape. "You'll find a sort of narrative begun, Johnny," he said, untying the tape, "for I tried my own hand at it. But I found I could not get on well. Writing manuscripts is not so much in my line as doctoring patients."