He went into the outer office, only to be summoned back to Eldrick a few minutes later. The senior partner was standing by his desk, looking a little concerned, and, thought Pratt, decidedly uncomfortable. He motioned the clerk to close the door. "Has Parrawhite come?" he asked. "No," replied Pratt, "Not yet, Mr. Eldrick." "Is--is he usually late?" inquired Eldrick. "Usually quite punctual--half-past nine," said Pratt. Eldrick glanced at his watch; then at his clerk. "Didn't you give me some cash last night?" he asked. "Forty-three pounds nine," answered Pratt. "Thompson's bill of costs--he paid it yesterday afternoon." Eldrick looked more uncomfortable than ever. "Well--the fact is," he said, "I--I meant to hand it to you to put in the safe, Pratt, but I didn't come back from the club. And--it's gone!" Pratt simulated concern--but not astonishment. And Eldrick pulled open the drawer, and waved a hand over it. "I put it down there," he said. "Very careless of me, no doubt--but nothing of this sort has ever happened before, and--however, there's the unpleasant fact, Pratt. The money's gone!" Pratt, who had hastily turned over the papers and other contents of the drawer, shook his head and used his privilege as an old and confidential servant. "I've always said, sir, that it was a great mistake to leave loose money lying about," he remarked mournfully. "If there'd only been a practice of letting me lock anything of that sort up in the safe every night--and this chequebook, too, sir--then----" "I know--I know!" said Eldrick. "Very reprehensible on my part--I'm afraid I am careless--no doubt of it. But----" He in his turn was interrupted by Pratt, who was turning over the cheque-book. "Some cheque forms have been taken out of this," he said. "Three! at the end. Look there, sir!" Eldrick uttered an exclamation of intense annoyance and disgust. He looked at the despoiled cheque-book, and flung it into the drawer. "Pratt!" he said, turning half appealingly, half confidentially to the clerk. "Don't say a word of this--above all, don't mention it to Mr. Pascoe. It's my fault and I must make the forty-three pounds good. Pratt, I'm afraid this is Parrawhite's work. I--well, I may as well tell you--he'd been in trouble before he came here. I gave him another chance--I'd known him, years ago. I thought he'd go straight. But--I fear he's been tempted. He may have seen me leave money about. Was he in here last night?" Pratt pointed to a document which lay on Eldrick's desk. "He came in here to leave that for your perusal," he answered. "He was in here--alone--a minute or two before he left." All these lies came readily and naturally--and Eldrick swallowed each. He shook his head. "My fault--all my fault!" he said. "Look here--keep it quiet. But--do you know where Parrawhite has lived--lodged?" "No!" replied Pratt. "Some of the others may, though!"