his ride across
country in considering the merits of the two handbills which Bryce had
given him. One announced an offer of five hundred pounds reward for
information in the Braden-Collishaw matter; the other, of a thousand
pounds. It struck him as a curious thing that two offers should be
made--it suggested, at once, that more than one person was deeply
interested in this affair. But who were they?--no answer to that
question appeared on the handbills, which were, in each case, signed by
Wrychester solicitors. To one of these Glassdale, on arriving in the old
city, promptly proceeded--selecting the offerer of the larger reward.
He presently found himself in the presence of an astute-looking man who,
having had his visitor's name sent in to him, regarded Glassdale with
very obvious curiosity.

"Mr. Glassdale?" he said inquiringly, as the caller took an offered
chair. "Are you, by any chance, the Mr. Glassdale whose name is
mentioned in connection with last night's remarkable affair?"

He pointed to a copy of the weekly newspaper, lying on his desk, and to
a formal account of the discovery of the Saxonsteade jewels which had
been furnished to the press, at the Duke's request, by Mitchington.
Glassdale glanced at it--unconcernedly.

"The same," he answered. "But I didn't call here on that matter--though
what I did call about is certainly relative to it. You've offered a
reward for any information that would lead to the solution of that
mystery about Braden--and the other man, Collishaw."

"Of a thousand pounds--yes!" replied the solicitor, looking at his
visitor with still more curiosity, mingled with expectancy. "Can you
give any?"

Glassdale pulled out the two handbills which he had obtained from Bryce.

"There are two rewards offered," he remarked. "Are they entirely
independent of each other?"

"We know nothing of the other," answered the solicitor. "Except, of
course, that it exists. They're quite independent."

"Who's offering the five hundred pound one?" asked Glassdale.

The solicitor paused, looking his man over. He saw at once that
Glassdale had, or believed he had, something to tell--and was disposed
to be unusually cautious about telling it.

"Well," he replied, after a pause. "I believe--in fact, it's an open
secret--that the offer of five hundred pounds is made by Dr. Ransford."

"And--yours?" inquired Glassdale. "Who's at the back of yours--a
thousand?"

The solicitor smiled.

"You haven't