Baldwin’s face showed that he was insensible to all that was passing and conscious only of one great fact. “Robbed, lass!” he repeated, gazing vacantly into Nancy’s eyes. “Every penny’s ta’en——!” Nancy waited for nothing more; but hastened into the shop, and finding that the men assembled there knew nothing, despatched Frank for the policeman. The “Packhorse” was uncomfortably full that evening but nobody complained of inconvenience or overcrowding, though there were those there whose faces were seldom seen in that company, and some who had walked through deep snowdrifts and past other houses of entertainment in order to be present. Albert was doing a roaring trade but found time to drop an observation from time to time as he moved about. “In Hull, you say?” Swithin inquired. “And what time might he ha’ gone to Hull?” “Our Jackie drave him down for t’ eight train,” the speaker replied, “and wor fain to see t’ last on him, for he wor as glum as a slug all t’ road, and never gave t’ lad a copper for his-sen, same as most of ’em does.” “And they sent him a telegraph to come back, say ye?” pursued Swithin whose duties had kept him out of the village all day so that he had some leeway to make up. “Before ten i’ t’ morning,” another volunteered. “Our Frank handed it in. ’E were to ’ave ’elped to get Baldwin to bed by Inman’s orders, if so be ’at ’e ’adn’t been able to ’elp ’is-self. ’Owsomever ’e’d getten to bed when Frank got there; an’ seemin’ly ’e ’adn’t locked t’ shop door; but that wor nowt out o’ t’ common, an’ nob’dy noticed nowt amiss till Baldwin went to t’ safe—” “Aye, aye, we’ve heard that before,” Swithin broke in. “We know ’at t’ safe worn’t locked for all there wor five hunderd pound in it and at t’ drawer wor prized oppen—it’s Inman’s doings I’m wanting to get at.” “’E wired back by eleven,” the other went on, “but he couldn’t get here afore five. They stopped t’ Scotchman for him, same as he’d been t’ squire his-self, and t’ inspector wor waitin’ down at t’ station wi’ a motor-car. Ah seed ’em pass my-self, an’ no notice ta’en o’ speed-limits seemin’ly.” Swithin’s eyes rested on the speaker with such concentration that the man became uneasy and Ambrose noticed it. “Tha’s no ’casion to fidget, lad,” he piped; “Swith’n noan suspicions thee o’ steylin’ t’ brass; but he’s a fearful cute hand at puttin’ two an’ two together, when he sets his-sen, and he’s seein’ summat ’at’s hid from ordinary een. It’s a gift wi’ some men. A far-seein’ man was his fayther afore him, as noan on ye’ll recollect; but Swith’n’s as like him as if he’d been spit out of his mouth.” “What I see and what I say, Ambrus, is two different things,” returned Swithin who was obviously pleased by the old man’s compliment. “There’s a time to speak your thoughts and a time to bottle ’em; but what I’ve seen I’ve seen, let any man deny it ’at will.”