ht as a secretary charged with a commonplace
fraud.

"Has the case of Cruden come on yet?" asked Horace anxiously.

The policeman answered him with a vacant stare.

"No," said Harker, "the name would be Reginald, you know. I say," added
he to the policeman, "when does Reginald's case come on?"

"Stand back there--Reginald--he was the last but one before this--don't
crowd, please."

"We're too late, then. What was--what did he get?"

Now the policeman considered he had answered quite enough for his
shilling. If he went on, people would think he was an easy fish to
catch. So he affected deafness, and looking straight past his eager
questioners again repeated his stentorian request to the public
generally.

"Oh, pray tell us what he got," said Harker, in tones of genuine
entreaty; "this is his brother, and we've only just heard of it."

The policeman for a moment turned a curious eye on Horace, as if to
convince himself of the truth of the story. Then, apparently satisfied,
and weary of the whole business, he said,--

"Let off. _Will you_ keep back, please? Stand back. Court's full."

Let off. Horace's heart gave a bound of triumph as he heard the words.
Of course he was! Who could even suspect him of such a thing as fraud?
Unjustly accused he might be, but Reg's character was proof against that
any day.

Harker shared his friend's feelings of relief and thankfulness at the
good news, but his face was still not without anxiety.

"We had better try to find him," said he.

"Oh, of course. He'll probably be back at Shy Street."

But no one was at Shy Street. The dingy office was deserted and locked,
and a little street urchin on the doorstep glowered at them as they
peered up the staircase and read the name on the plate.

"Had we better ask in the shop? they may know," said Horace.

But the chemist looked black when Reginald's name was mentioned, and
hoped he should never see him again. He'd got into trouble and loss
enough with him as it was--a hypocritical young--

"Look here," said Horace, "you're speaking of my brother, and you'd
better be careful. He's no more a hypocrite than you. He's an honest
man, and he's been acquitted of the charge brought against him."

"I didn't know you were his brother," said the chemist, rather
sheepishly, "but for all that I don't want to see him again, and I don't
expect I shall either. He won't come near here in a hurry, unless I'm
mistaken."

"The f