and as he shook his head again.

"I only want you to send away a telegram at once to your head office,"
he said in a voice so dull and hollow that it caused even a greater
shock to his companions than his appearance had done.

"There would not be anyone to receive it at this time of night," Wallace
replied. "But it shall go the first thing in the morning."

"If you will write it now, I will leave it at the post office," Durham
said in the same lifeless tone.

Wallace rose, forcing a smile.

"It is already written, Durham," he said pleasantly. "It states you have
succeeded in recovering the stolen gold, and asks for authority to pay
you the reward at once and in public."

"You must not send that."

The forced smile faded as Wallace stood staring; the expression both in
Durham's voice and on his face was so hopelessly despondent, that into
Wallace's mind there came a fear lest the recovered gold had again
disappeared.

"Not send that?" he asked wonderingly. "Why? You said----"

"I know. But you must not send it--now. Write another."

"The gold is lost?" Wallace exclaimed.

"No. The gold is safe; it is on its way here now--Brennan is bringing
it. What you must report at once is that Eustace was innocent."

"Eustace innocent?"

Wallace and Harding uttered the exclamation simultaneously.

"Innocent. Absolutely innocent. Tell Mrs. Eustace too. It may bring her
a grain of comfort in her distress."

Without raising his head or lifting his eyes, Durham spoke in the voice
of a man upon whom the weight of desolation has fallen. To his hearers
it suggested failure, defeat, and the consequent loss of professional
prestige. To Wallace, whose concern was mostly for the recovery of the
Bank's money, the suggestion did not convey so much as it did to
Harding. He knew more of Durham's views, had heard him express time and
again his absolute conviction as to the guilt of Eustace. The case, as
Durham had put it, was so entirely clear against the late manager that
to hear him now declared innocent, and by the man who had accumulated
evidence against him, reduced Harding's mind to a blank.

"What are you saying, Durham?" he heard Wallace exclaim with impatience.
"What do you mean? Eustace innocent? Why--great Heavens, man, if he were
innocent----"

"He was absolutely innocent, Mr. Wallace. As innocent as Mr. Harding."

"But----" Harding passed his hand across his forehead.

"It is true," Durham said in a subdued tone.