ore, though you offered him the choice of many
houses?" Field smiled. "But what about the blinds and curtains in the
windows?"

"Oh, they belonged to the previous tenant. You see, we had to put in an
execution there for rent. The landlord desired the fittings to remain."

Field went away rather impressed by the cunningness of the dodge. The
whole thing was theatrical and a little overdone, but it was clever, all
the same. A short time later, and Field was on his way to London with
Acton for his companion.

Mr. Fleming was in the office disengaged and would see Inspector Field
at once. He glanced at the latter's companion but said nothing.

"I have been very successful," Field said without preamble. "I have made
some important discoveries. For instance, I have found the gentleman who
engrossed that deed. It was engrossed early this morning at a house in
Park Road, Wandsworth, by my companion. If you will show him the deed he
will be able to identify it at once."

But Mr. Fleming did not do business in that way. He took two deeds and
folded them so that a portion of each could be seen. Then he laid them
both on the table and asked Acton to pick out the one that he had done.
All law stationers' writing is very much alike, but Acton had not the
slightest difficulty in picking out his.

"That is the one, sir," he said. "That is the one that I wrote to-day."

Fleming admitted that the choice was a correct one. He spread out the
deed now and proceeded to examine it gravely through his glasses. "Did
you put in the date?" he asked.

"No, sir," Acton replied. "There was no date. That is a forgery. It is
not badly done, but you can see that it does not quite tally with the
body of the deed. Besides, the ink is slightly darker. Look at that 'e,'
too, in the word 'nine.' I never write that kind of 'e'--you will not
find one like it in the body of the deed."

Fleming was bound to admit that such was the case. Field thanked Acton
for the trouble he had taken, and dismissed him. Then he came back to
the office.

"Well, sir, are you quite satisfied now?" he asked. "Is there any
reasonable doubt that----"

"No doubt that the deed purporting to have been signed so long ago was
only written to-day. So far as that is concerned, you have proved your
case up to the hilt, Field. Nobody is going to gain anything by the
publication of that deed. But there is one thing that sticks, and I
cannot get it down at all--the genuineness of