ed from the safe when I am busy. Though,
as a rule, the safe door is open so long as I am about the place.
Nothing but the books can be taken out without the use of other keys for
the drawers and boxes, which I keep on the private bunch."

"And would it be possible for anybody--anybody at all, mind--to get at
that private bunch of keys in such a way, for instance, as to be able to
take a wax impression of the key of that bond-box?"

"No, certainly not," Mr. Bell answered with decision. "Certainly not. At
any rate, not in this office," he added.

"Ah, not in this office. Anywhere else?"

"No, nor anywhere else, I should think," the other replied, though this
time a little more thoughtfully. "There's only my own family at home and
the servants and----"

"Anybody who has access to this room of the office?" Hewitt asked
keenly.

Mr. Bell seemed a little startled.

"Why, no," he said, "nobody at home comes to the office--not even a
visitor, except, of course, my junior partner, who visits the room
pretty frequently."

"Very well. You don't remember ever mislaying the keys temporarily, I
suppose, either here or at home?"

"No-o," Mr. Bell replied slowly. "I can't say that I do remember
anything of the sort. No--and I believe I should be sure to remember if
I had."

"Ah! And when you realised your loss what did you do? Told your partner
first, I suppose?"

"No--he doesn't know of the discovery. He went out just before I made
it, and I don't expect him in again to-day." But as Mr. Bell spoke there
grew plain in his face the pallor of a new fear.

Martin Hewitt observed it, but kept his thoughts to himself. "Well," he
said, "you didn't tell your partner. Nor the police?"

"No, Mr. Hewitt. You see, of course, the first thing the police attempt
is to catch and punish the thief, and they make the recovery of the
property a subsidiary object. But for me, Mr. Hewitt, the recovery of
the property, as I have explained, is the one great consideration.
Punish the thief by all means, but first save me from ruin, Mr. Hewitt!
That is why I sent for you; for that, and because I thought it might be
advisable to keep the matter quiet, till you had taken some steps."

"There is something in that consideration, certainly. So you have told
nobody of the loss, except me?"

"Nobody but Foster, my head clerk--an old and faithful servant. It was
he, in fact, who suggested sending for you. As he put it very forcibly,
you can act fo