Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 3).djvu/409

 happened, but I did not feel this much. I did not feel anything much. I was in a dream—a stupor.

"Late in the afternoon Mr. Strangway called me into his office, and told me that, considering everything, he did not intend placing the affair in the hands of the police that day, but that if to-morrow's sun went down upon matters as they now stood, he should be obliged to take action. The loss of the money I could bear,' said he, 'but the ingratitude I will not stand.'

"This was as good as accusing me the robbery. Again I wonder that I was not more put out, but I felt little or nothing beyond helpless and numbed.

"Before I left Bread-street that evening Grainly sent me a note begging me, for my own sake, not to think of bolting! Bolting,' said he, 'in a case of this kind would be taken as an admission of the very worst.'

"Even this daring impudence did not rouse me, did not waken me; through the whole terrible affair I do not think I was ever as much excited as I am now.

"Next day Mr. Strangway said not a syllable about employing the police, or indeed about the affair at all, nor did he, as far as I knew, take steps in the matter. On the day following he made an astonishing announcement. He called Grainly and me into his private office, and said—

The present is the first time in the history of our firm that anything of this kind has occurred—that we have been robbed from the inside. I have made up my mind not to do anything about it just now. I keep an open mind. Some day we may find an easy explanation of the mystery, or it may never be cleared up. I accuse no one. I will say no more of the affair until I can either put my hand on the man who did it, or tell you both face to face, as you are now, that I have discharged from my mind for ever the notion that any man who takes my money as a servant took it also as a thief.'