I called in and told him directly I
got back here and he went that afternoon to Fairclose."

The date was conclusive to Cuthbert. The transfer had been ante-dated
some three weeks; and the two clerks, therefore, attested it on the 24th
or 25th of March; so Brander had lost no time in conceiving his plan and
carrying it into execution.

"By the way, Doctor," he said, after a pause, "I shall be glad if you
will not mention to anyone that I am here. I don't want people to be
coming to see me, and I would especially rather not see Brander. I never
did like the man from the time I was a boy, and I don't think I could
stand either his business manner or his hearty one. I thought I would
come down and have the pleasure of a chat with you again for a day or
two, but I don't mean to stir out while I am here."

The next morning Cuthbert obtained a telegraph form from the doctor and
sent his man with it to the post-office. It was directed to Harford, and
contained only the words, "Come down this evening if possible. Put up at
the George. Come round in the morning to Dr. Edwardes.'"

Cuthbert was really glad of the day's rest, and felt all the better for
it. On the following morning Harford's name was brought in just as
breakfast was over.

"It is the man who was Brander's clerk, Doctor," he said. "I met him in
town and he has come down to see me on a little matter of business."

"Take him into the consulting-room, Cuthbert, I am not likely to have
any patients come for the next half-hour."

"That settles it, sir," the clerk said, when he heard from Cuthbert of
the date which he had obtained from the doctor, "though I cannot swear
to a day."

"I hear that Brander comes to his office about eleven o'clock. He is
sure to be there, for I hear that Jackson has gone away for a few days.
I will go at half-past. If you will call here for me at that time we
will walk there together. I will go in by myself. I will get you to call
two or three minutes after me, so that I can call you into his private
room if necessary."

"You have soon done with him," the doctor said, as Cuthbert returned to
the breakfast-room.

"I have given him some instructions and he will call again presently,"
Cuthbert replied. "By the way, we were talking of Brander; how have his
two girls turned out? I mean the two younger ones; I met Mary in Paris
during the siege."

"Ah. I heard from Brander that she was shut up there, and I was
wondering whether you ha