ellow's right, I'm afraid," said Harker, as they left the shop.
"He's had enough of this place, from what you tell me. It strikes me
the best thing is to go and inquire at the police-station. They may
know something there."

To the police-station accordingly they went, and chanced to light on one
no less important than Mr Sniff himself.

"We are interested in Reginald Cruden, who was before the magistrate to-
day," said Harker. "In fact, this is his brother, and I am an old
schoolfellow. We hear the charge against him was dismissed, and we
should be much obliged if you could tell us where to find him."

Mr Sniff regarded the two boys with interest, and not without a slight
trace of uneasiness. He had never really suspected Reginald, but it had
appeared necessary to arrest him on suspicion, not only to satisfy the
victims of the Corporation, but on the off chance of his knowing rather
more than he seemed to know about the doings of that virtuous
association. It had been a relief to Mr Sniff to find his first
impressions as to the lad's innocence confirmed, and to be able to
withdraw the charge against him. But the manner in which the magistrate
had dismissed the case had roused even his phlegmatic mind to
indignation, and had set his conscience troubling him a little as to his
own conduct of the affair. This was why he now felt and looked not
quite happy in the presence of Reginald's brother and friend.

"Afraid I can't tell you," said he. "He left the court as soon as the
case was over, and of course we've no more to do with him."

"He is not back at his old office," said Horace, "and I don't know of
any other place in Liverpool he would be likely to go to."

"It struck me, from the looks of him," said Mr Sniff, quite despising
himself for being so unprofessionally communicative--"it struck me he
didn't very much care where he went. Very down in the mouth he was."

"Why, but he was acquitted; his character was cleared. Whatever should
he be down in the mouth about?" said Horace.

Mr Sniff smiled pityingly.

"He was let off with a caution," he said; "that's rather a different
thing from having your character cleared, especially when our friend
Fogey's on the bench. I was sorry for the lad, so I was."

This was a great deal to come from the lips of a cast-iron individual
like Mr Sniff, and it explained the state of the case forcibly enough
to his two hearers. Horace knew his brother's nature well en