If he had waited a little longer, he would have seen the new partner come out of the house and walk away: if he had followed him up the stairs, he would have seen him knocking at the closed outer door of Mr. Edmund Gray. If he had knocked at the door opposite, he would have found Mr. Athelstan Arundel in the room with his own acquaintance, Mr. Freddy Carstone, the Cambridge scholar and the ornament of their circle at the _Salutation_. But being in a hurry, he jumped to a conclusion and called a cab. He drove to Palace Gardens, where Sir Samuel had his town-house. Sir Samuel was still at dinner. He sat down in the hall, meekly waiting. After a while the Service condescended to ask if he wished a message to be taken in to Sir Samuel. 'From his brother's--from Mr. Dering's office, please tell him. From his brother's office--on most important business--most important--say.' Sir Samuel received him kindly, made him sit down, and gave him a glass of wine. 'Now,' he said, 'tell me what it all means. My brother has had a robbery--papers and certificates and things--of course they are stopped. He won't lose anything. But it is a great nuisance, this kind of thing.' 'He has already lost four months' dividends--four months, sir, on thirty-eight thousand pounds. And do you really think that he will get back his papers?' 'Certainly--or others. They are, after all, only vouchers. How is my brother?' 'Well, Sir Samuel, better than you'd think likely. This morning, to be sure----' He stopped, being loth to tell how his master had lost consciousness. 'Well, sir, I've been thinking that the property was gone, and from what I know of them as had to do with the job, I thought there was mighty little chance of getting it back. It kept me awake. Oh! it's an awful sum. Close upon forty thousand pounds. He can stand that and double that----' 'And double that again,' said Sir Samuel. 'I should hope so.' 'Certainly, sir. But it's a blow-- I can feel for him. I'm only a clerk; but I've saved a bit and put out a bit, Sir Samuel. Cheese-parings, you'd say; but I've enjoyed saving it up--oh! I've enjoyed it. I don't think there is any pleasure in life like saving up--watching it grow--and grow and grow--it grows like a pretty flower, doesn't it?--and adding to it. Ah!' he sighed, and drank his glass of wine. 'Sir Samuel, if I was to lose my little savings, it would break my heart. I'm an old man, and so is he--it would break me up, it would indeed. Ever since yesterday morning, I've been thinking whether anything could happen to make me lose my money. There's Death in the thought. Sir Samuel--for an old man--and a small man--like me--there's Death in the thought.' 'Don't tell anybody where your investments are, and lock up the papers, Checkley.--Now, what do you want me to do for you?' 'I want you to listen to me for half an hour, Sir Samuel, and to give me your advice, for the business is too much for me.' 'Go on, then. I am listening.'