"How can the deeds have gone?" exclaimed Mr. Hastings. As every one else had said. "I don't know," replied Isaac, breaking off a spray from the hedge, and beginning to bite the thorns. "I suppose it is all right," he presently added. "Right in what way?" asked Mr. Hastings. "I suppose George Godolphin's all right, I mean." The words were as an unknown tongue to Mr. Hastings. He did not fathom them. "You suppose that George Godolphin is all right!" he exclaimed. "You speak in riddles, Isaac." "I cannot say I _suspect_ anything wrong, sir; but the doubt has crossed me. It never would have done so, but for George Godolphin's manner." Mr. Hastings turned his penetrating gaze on his son, "Speak out," said he. "Tell me what you mean." Isaac did so. He related the circumstances of the loss; the confused manner he had observed in Mr. George Godolphin, on the visits of Lord Averil, and his reluctance to receive them. One little matter he suppressed: the stolen visit of George to London, and deceit to Maria, relative to it. Isaac did not see what that could have had to do with the loss of the deeds, and his good feeling told him that it was not a pleasant thing to name to his father. Mr. Hastings did not speak for a few minutes. "Isaac, I see no reasonable grounds for your doubts," he said at length. "The Bank is too flourishing for that. Perhaps you meant only as to George?" "I can scarcely tell whether I really meant anything," replied Isaac. "The doubts arose to me, and I thought I would mention them to you. I dare say my fancy is to blame: it does run riot sometimes." A silence ensued. Mr. Hastings broke it. "With a keen man of business, such as Mr. Thomas Godolphin, at the head of affairs, George could not go far wrong, I should presume. I think he spends enough on his own score, mark you, Isaac; but that has nothing to do with the prosperity of the Bank." "Of course not. Unless----" "Unless what? Why don't you speak out?" "Because I am not sure of my premises, sir," frankly answered Isaac. "Unless he were to have become irretrievably embarrassed, and should be using the Bank's funds for his own purposes, I believe I was about to say." "Pretty blind moles some of you must be, in that case! Could such a thing be done without the cognizance of the house? Of Mr. Hurde and of Thomas Godolphin?" "Well--no--I don't much think it could," hesitated Isaac, who was not at all certain upon the point. "At any rate, not to any extent. I suppose one of my old crotchets--as Grace, used to call them--has taken possession of me, rendering me absurdly fanciful. I dare say it is all right: except that the deeds are mislaid." "I dare say it is," acquiesced the Rector. "I should be sorry to think it otherwise--for many reasons. Grace is here, is she not?" "Grace is here, and Grace's son and heir, making enough noise for ten. I can't think why Grace----"