er
place; I don't think he put out more than fifty at any one time. And he
says he's only learning his way round, and that he'll be able to form
better connections to get rid of it.' Then Mr. Bulla spoke, and this
was what upset me so much and made me think, 'Mr. Archer is a wonderful
man,' he said with that horrible fat chuckle of his, 'he would plant
stuff on Old Nick himself with the whole of the C.I.D. looking on.'
I was bewildered and rather horrified, and I did not wait to hear any
more. I crept away noiselessly, and I didn't want to be found as it were
listening. Even then I did not understand that anything was wrong, but
it happened that the very next day I was walking through the forest
near the lane, and I noticed Henri changing the numbers on the lorry.
He didn't see me, and he had such a stealthy surreptitious air, that I
couldn't but see it was not a joke. Putting two and two together I felt
something serious was going on, and that night I asked my father what it
was."

"Well done!" Merriman exclaimed admiringly.

"But it was no use. He made little of it at first, but when I pressed
him he said that against his will he had been forced into an enterprise
which he hated and which he was trying to get out of. He said I must be
patient and we should get away from it as quickly as possible. But since
then," she added despondently, "though I have returned to the subject
time after time he has always put me off, saying that we must wait a
little longer."

"And then you thought of the false notes?"

"Yes, but I had no reason to do so except that I couldn't think of
anything else that would fit the words I had overheard. Planting stuff
by tens or twenties or fifties seemed to--"

There was a sudden noise in the hall and Madeleine broke off to listen.

"Father," she whispered breathlessly. "Don't say anything."

Merriman had just time to nod when the door opened and Mr. Coburn
appeared on the threshold. For a moment he stood looking at his
daughter's visitor, while the emotions of doubt, surprise and annoyance
seemed to pass successively through his mind. Then he advanced with
outstretched hand and a somewhat satirical smile on his lips.

"Ah, it is the good Merriman," he exclaimed. "Welcome once more to our
humble abode. And where is brother Hilliard? You don't mean to say you
have come without him?"

His tone jarred on Merriman, but he answered courteously: "I left him
in London. I had business bringing