ve said to herself, 'All right! the more
the old fool talks about sweethearts the further he is from tracing the
robbery to Me!' Yes! yes! the ground's cleared now, Master Moody. I've
reckoned up the servants; I've questioned Miss Isabel; I've made my
inquiries in all the other quarters that may be useful to us--and what's
the result? The advice I gave, when you and the lawyer first came to
me--I hate that fellow!--remains as sound and good advice as ever. I
have got the thief in my mind," said Old Sharon, closing his cunning
eyes and then opening them again, "as plain as I've got you in my eye at
this minute. No more of that now," he went on, looking round sharply at
the path that led to the farmhouse. "I've something particular to say to
you--and there's barely time to say it before that nice girl comes back.
Look here! Do you happen to be acquainted with Mr.-Honorable-Hardyman's
valet?"

Moody's eyes rested on Old Sharon with a searching and doubtful look.

"Mr. Hardyman's valet?" he repeated. "I wasn't prepared to hear Mr.
Hardyman's name."

Old Sharon looked at Moody, in his turn, with a flash of sardonic
triumph.

"Oho!" he said. "Has my good boy learned his lesson? Do you see the
thief through my spectacles, already?"

"I began to see him," Moody answered, "when you gave us the guinea
opinion at your lodgings."

"Will you whisper his name?" asked Old Sharon.

"Not yet. I distrust my own judgment. I wait till time proves that you
are right."

Old Sharon knitted his shaggy brows and shook his head. "If you had
only a little more dash and go in you," he said, "you would be a clever
fellow. As it is--!" He finished the sentence by snapping his fingers
with a grin of contempt. "Let's get to business. Are you going back by
the next train along with me? or are you going to stop with the young
lady?"

"I will follow you by a later train," Moody answered.

"Then I must give you my instructions at once," Sharon continued. "You
get better acquainted with Hardyman's valet. Lend him money if he wants
it--stick at nothing to make a bosom friend of him. I can't do that part
of it; my appearance would be against me. _You_ are the man--you are
respectable from the top of your hat to the tips of your boots; nobody
would suspect You. Don't make objections! Can you fix the valet? Or
can't you?"

"I can try," said Moody. "And what then?"

Old Sharon put his gross lips disagreeably close to Moody's ear.

"Your friend