Oscar felt at once that something must be amiss, but it did not occur to him that the matter would affect him personally. He looked up with a question in his eyes, and was perplexed at the grave unbending glance that met his. “I have been to Jones and Wright about that bill, Oscar,” he said, in very measured tones, and then came to a full stop. “Yes, uncle?” said Oscar, with a note of interrogation in his voice, and then came to a deadlock himself, feeling uncomfortable without knowing why. “Just that, Oscar. I have been to them. They tell me that bill was never paid. That receipt was not made by any of their people. They invariably use their stamp; they do not write across the postage stamp with a pen. I verified this by going back to the office and looking up former receipts. See here, I have brought the bills to show you. No, Oscar, do not speak yet, I do not wish you to do so. Take time. I will leave the papers here with you now. Later on I will come for your explanation. Remember, my boy, that all I look for is a free and candid explanation and confession, whatever the fault may be. You are my sister’s son, and I shall not forget that.” And Mr. Tom walked rather hastily from the room, leaving Oscar sitting with the bills before him, and a dazed expression upon his face. It took him a little time to collect himself and gather all the significance of this thing. Bit by bit it came to him that a deed had been done by some person which was nothing more or less than the theft of forty pounds; for that was the amount of the bill. The money had been given to him in cash—he remembered that. Usually debts were paid by cheque, but now and then, when there was a good deal of cash in the office, payments were made in this way; but when this method was employed, it was always North or himself who was entrusted with the money. A burning flush rose to Oscar’s cheek. He strove to recall what he had done with that forty odd pounds. He had no recollection of going to that place himself with the money. He must have entrusted it to somebody else, in that easy-going way of which North had warned him more than once. Oscar thrust his hands through his hair, and racked his brains desperately. He saw at once what a terrible temptation he had put in somebody’s way. It had hardly occurred to him as yet that he might fall under suspicion himself; but he realised that through his easy-going carelessness—his way of trusting the other clerks with business given him to do, and doing theirs in exchange—he had been the cause of a serious monetary loss to his uncle, and had enabled somebody to embezzle money and perhaps lay the foundation of a career of crime.