"If this letter stated what you say, Mr. Littelby, rely upon it that the record is there. There have been such things known, mind you"--and old Mynn lowered his voice as he spoke--"as frauds committed on registers; false entries made. And they have passed for genuine, too, to unsuspicious eyes. But, if this is one, it won't pass so with me," he added, rising. "Not a man in the three kingdoms has a keener eye than mine." "It is impossible that a false entry can have been made in the register!" exclaimed Mr. Littelby, speaking slowly, as if debating the question in his own mind. "We shall see. I assure you I consider it equally impossible for the marriage to have taken place, as stated, without detection." "But--assuming your suspicion to be correct--who can have been wicked enough to insert the entry?" cried Mr. Littelby. "That, I can't tell. The entry of the marriage would take the property from our clients, the Carrs of Eckford, therefore they are exempt from the suspicion. I wonder," continued Mr. Mynn in a half-secret tone, "whether that young clergyman got access to the register when he was down here?" "That young clergyman was honest as the day," emphatically interrupted Mr. Littelby. "I could answer for his truth and honour with my life. The finding of that letter would have sent him to his grave easier than he went to it." "There's another brother, is there not?" "Yes. But he is in Holland, looking after the home affairs, which are also complicated. He has not been here at all since his father's death." "Ah, one doesn't know," said old Mynn, glancing at his watch. "Hundreds of miles have intervened, before now, between a committed fraud and its plotter. Well, we will say no more at present. I'll tell you more when I have had a look at this register. It will not deceive _me_." "Are you going over now?" asked Mr. George. "At once," replied old Mynn, with decision; "and I'll bring you back my report and my opinion as soon as may be." But Mr. Mynn was away considerably longer than there appeared any need that he should be. When he did arrive he explained that his delay arose from the effectual and thorough searching of the register. "I don't know what could have been the meaning or the use of that letter you told us of, Mr. Littelby," he said, as he took off his coat; "there is no entry of the marriage in the church register of St. James the Less." "No entry of it!" "None whatever." Mr. Littelby did not at once speak: many thoughts were crowding upon his mind. He and old Mynn were standing now, and George Mynn was sitting with his elbow on the table, and his aching head leaning on his hand. The least excitement out of common, sometimes only the sitting for a day in the close office, would bring on these intolerable headaches.