"Had you regarded it dispassionately, George, I think you would have seen it in a more serious light. I should not be likely to move the bonds to a different place of keeping, without your cognizance: and as to returning them to Lord Averil, the transaction would have appeared in the books." "I am sorry I forgot to mention it to you," said George. "That you could have forgotten it, and continued to forget it until now, passes all belief. Has there never been a moment at any time, George, in this last month that it has recurred to your memory?" "Well, perhaps there may have been; just a casual thought," acknowledged George. "I can't be sure." "And yet you did not speak to me?" "In your present state of health, I was willing to spare you unnecessary anxiety----" "Stay, George. If you really assumed that I had moved the deeds, asking me the question could not have been productive of anxiety. If any fear, such as that the deeds were missing without my agency, only crossed your mind as a suggestion, it was your bounden duty to acquaint me with it." "I wish I could have dealt with the matter now without acquainting you," returned George. "Did not the London doctors warn you that repose of mind was essential to you?" "George," was the impressive answer, and Thomas had his hand upon his brother's arm as he spoke it, "so long as I pretend to transact business, to come to this Bank, and sit here, its master, so long do I desire and request to be considered equal to discharging its duties efficiently. When I can no longer do that, I will withdraw from it. Never again suffer my state of health to be a plea for keeping matters from me, however annoying or complicated they may be." Thomas Godolphin spent half that day in looking into other strong boxes, lest perchance the missing deeds should have got into any--though he did not see how that could be. They could not be found; but, neither did any other paper of consequence, so far as could be discovered, appear to have gone. Thomas could not account for the loss in any way, or conjecture why it should have occurred, or who had taken the bonds. It was made known in the Bank that a packet of deeds was missing; but full particulars were not given.