She pointed to a pair of slippers she had laid ready. The old clerk looked grim, muttered something about the points of his toes, and ended by untying his shoes, and putting on the slippers.

Madelaine was quite right, for no sooner had Van Heldre motioned the clerk to a chair by the bed's head, learned that all was right in his office, and a.s.sured the old man that he was mending fast, than he opened upon him regarding the attack that night.

"Was that money taken?" he said, quickly.

"Is it right for you to begin talking about that so soon?" replied Crampton.

"Unless you want me to go backwards, yes," said his employer, sharply.

"There, answer my questions. I have nothing the matter now; only weak, and I cannot ask any one else."

"I'm your servant, Mr Van Heldre," said Crampton, stiffly. "Go on, sir."

"That money, then?"

"Gone, sir, every note. Five hundred pounds."

"Dead loss," said Van Heldre; "but it must be repaid."

"Humph! pretty opinion you seem to have of me, sir, as a confidential clerk."

"What do you mean, Crampton?"

"Mean, sir? Why, that I did my duty, and stopped every note at the Bank of England, of course."

"You did that, Crampton?"

"Yes, sir; and those notes are of no use to anybody."

"Capital. Hah! that's better. Five hundred just coming on the other misfortune worried me. Why, Crampton, that's a white paper plaster for my sore head."

"Glad you're satisfied, sir."

"More than satisfied. Now tell me: have the police any notion who committed the robbery?" Crampton nodded. "Do you know?"

Crampton looked at his employer curiously, and nodded again.

"Have they taken any one?"

"No, sir," said the old man sadly.

"Hah! That's bad. Who was it?"

"Well, sir, you know of course."

"I? No!"

"You don't know, sir?"

"I have no idea, Crampton. I heard a noise, and went in and surprised the scoundrel, but it was quite dark, and as I tried to seize him I was struck down."

"And you mean to a.s.sure me, sir, that you don't know who it was?"

"I have not the most remote idea."

"Well then, sir, I must tell you it was him who had been robbing you ever since the first day he came to us."

"Robbing me?"

"Well, not exactly of money in hard cash, but of your time, which is just the same. Time's money. Always an hour late."

Van Heldre turned upon him fiercely. "Crampton, can you let your prejudice go so far as to suspect that young man?"

"Yes, sir. I can... Suspect? No, I am sure. I doubted him from the first."

"It is monstrous. You were unjust to him from the first."

"I, sir?"

"Yes. But then how can a man who has never had a child be just to the weaknesses of the young?"

"I can be just, sir, and I have been. You don't know the supercilious way in which that boy treated me from the day he entered our office.

Always late, and as soon as he was settled down to his work, in must come that scoundrel with the French name to ask for him, and get him away. Why, Mr Van Heldre, sir, if I hadn't been a law-abiding subject of her most gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, I'd have knocked that man down."

"Pish!" said Van Heldre impatiently, as he lay back frowning, and looking very thoughtful. "I am sorry that you should have entertained such a suspicion about the son of my old friend."

"Ah!" sighed Crampton. "Poor Mr Vine! It's heart-breaking work, sir.

It is, indeed."

"Heart-breaking!" said Van Heldre. "It is atrocious. There, I will not speak angrily, Crampton."

"No, sir. You must not; and now I'm going, sir. You've talked twice as much as is good for you."

"Sit down," said Van Heldre sternly.

Crampton, who had moved towards the door, slowly resumed his place.

"I am not too weak to talk about this terrible accusation. I am not going to say much now, only to ask you to throw aside all this prejudice and to look upon the mishap as an unfortunate occurrence. Come, Crampton, be a little broader. Don't be so ready to suspect the first person you dislike, and then to keep obstinately to your opinion."

"Better not talk any more," said Crampton, shortly.

"I must talk," said Van Heldre, more sternly. "Mind this, Crampton, you are wrong."

The care, want of rest, and anxiety had produced a state of acidity in the old clerk's organisation which had made him exceptionally irritable.

"Wrong, eh?" he said sharply.

"Yes; and I must call upon you to be careful to keep these fancies to yourself."

"Fancies, sir?"