'They are nothing else than the bank-notes paid across the counter for that forged cheque of eight years ago. Oh! there is no doubt of it--none whatever. I remember the numbers--the consecutive numbers--seventy-two of them--seven hundred and twenty pounds. How did they get here? Who put them in? Checkley, I say, how did these notes get here?' He held the notes in his hand and asked these questions in pure bewilderment, and not in the expectation of receiving any reply. 'The notes paid to that young gentleman when he forged the cheque,' said Checkley, 'must have been put back in the safe by him. There's no other way to account for it. He was afraid to present them. He heard you say they were stopped, and he put them back. I think I see him doing it. While he was flaring out, he done it--I'm sure I see him doing it.' Mr. Dering received this suggestion without remark. He laid down the notes and stared at his clerk. The two old men stared blankly at each other. Perhaps Checkley's countenance, of the two, expressed the greater astonishment. 'How did those notes get into the safe?' the lawyer repeated. 'This is even a more wonderful thing than the mislaying of the certificates. You took them out. Show me exactly where they were lying.' 'They were behind these books. See! the outside note is covered with dust.' 'They must have been lying there all these years. In my safe! The very notes paid across the counter to the forger's messenger! In my safe! What does this mean? I feel as if I was going mad. I say-- What does all this mean, Checkley?' The clerk made answer slowly, repeating his former suggestion. 'Since young Arundel forged the cheque, young Arundel got the notes. Since young Arundel got the notes, young Arundel must have put them back. No one else could. When young Arundel put them back, he done it because he was afraid of your finding out. He put them back unseen by you that day when you charged him with the crime.' 'I did not charge him. I have charged no one.' 'I charged him, then, and you did not contradict. I'd charge him again if he was here.' 'Any man may charge anything upon any other man. There was no proof whatever, and none has ever come to light.' 'You're always for proofs that will convict a man. I only said that nobody else could do the thing. As for putting the notes back again in the safe, now I come to think of it'--his face became cunning and malignant--'I do remember--yes--oh! yes--I clearly remember--I quite clearly remember--I see it as plain as if it was before me. He got sidling nearer and nearer the safe while we were talking: he got quite close--so--he chucked a bundle in when he thought I wasn't looking. I think--I almost think--I could swear to it.' 'Nonsense,' said the lawyer. 'Your memory is too clear. Tie up the notes, Checkley, and put them back. They may help, perhaps, some time, to find out the man. Meantime, let us go back to our search. Let us find these certificates.'