ght, and thy
judgment as the noonday?' The Lord doesna forget."

The story as they gathered it from Philip's explanations and
exclamations was this: He had come to the office to see his father
directly from the train that had brought him home from C--. He had not
found him in, but he had written a note to explain that through some
change of plan the company of explorers were to set out immediately, and
that he must return to C-- without a moment's delay, in order that all
arrangements might be completed by the time that the boat sailed. He
was almost sure he had acknowledged taking the small rolls of silver
that were on the table; he was quite sure that he had left the full
value in paper money in exchange. There could be no mistake about it,
and he had never doubted but his father had received it.

"And, papa! the absurdity of suspecting Davie," said Philip, not very
respectfully, when his story was done.

"And now the matter lies between him and you," said his father. "For
the money is not forthcoming. You may have neglected to leave it after
all."

But Philip was certain as to that point. He had enclosed it with his
note and closed the envelope, leaving it on an open ledger that was
lying on the table. There could be no mistake about that.

"And we are just where we were before," said Mr Caldwell. "But don't
be cast down, David. There must be a way out of this."

"But nothing astonishes me so much as that my father should have doubted
Davie. That was too absurd, you know. If I had been you, Davie, I
would have cut the whole concern," said Philip.

"There would have been much wisdom in that," said Mr Caldwell dryly.
"There is no fear of David Inglis."

David said nothing. He stood folding and unfolding the letter that
Philip had given him, struck dumb by the thought that nothing had really
been discovered of the missing money, and that the suspicion of Mr
Oswald might still rest on him "I wonder you did not think of me,
father," went on Philip. "Frank did, I dare say, though I could not
make out what he meant. But the money must be somewhere. Let us have a
look."

He went into his father's room, and the others followed. Philip looked
about as though he expected everything might be as he left it two months
ago. There were loose papers on the table, and some letters and
account-books. The morning paper was there, and Mr Oswald's hat and
cane, and that was all.

"The big book lay just here