hese valuables off there, and
that when his accomplices heard of his sudden death they--why, they
just held their tongues. But--my notion is that the only accomplice
Lester had was our friend Netherfield Baxter."

"You've some ground?" I asked.

"Yes--or I shouldn't think so," said Scarterfield. "I'm now coming to
the reason of my sending for you, Mr. Middlebrook. I told you that
this fellow Baxter had a decent lodging in the town. Well, I made it
my business to go there yesterday morning, and finding that the
landlady was a sensible woman and likely to keep a quiet tongue I just
told her a bit of my business and asked her some questions. Then I
found out that Baxter left various matters behind him, which she still
had--clothes, books (he was evidently a chap for reading, and of
superior education, which probably accounts for what I'm going to tell
you), papers, and the like. I got her to let me have a sight of them.
And amongst the papers I found two, which seem to me to have been
written hundreds of years ago and to be lists with names and figures
in them. My impression is that Lester found them in those chests of
plate, couldn't make them out, and gave them to Netherfield Baxter, as
being a better educated man--Baxter, I found out, did well at school
and could read and write two or three languages. Well, now, I
persuaded the landlady to lend me these documents for a day or two,
and I've got them in my room upstairs, safely locked up--I'll fetch
them down presently and you shall see if you can decipher them--very
old they are, and the writing crabbed and queer--but Lord bless you,
the ink's as black as jet!"

"Scarterfield!" said I. "It strikes me you've possibly hit on a
discovery. Supposing this stolen stuff is safely hidden somewhere
about? Supposing Netherfield Baxter knew where, and that he's the
William Netherfield of the _Elizabeth Robinson_? Supposing that he let
the Quicks into the secret? Supposing--but, bless me! there are a
hundred things one can suppose! Anyhow, I believe we're getting at
something."

"I've been supposing a lot of what you've just suggested ever since
yesterday morning," he answered quietly. "Didn't I say we should have
to hark back? Well, I'll fetch down these documents."

He went away, and while he was absent I stood at the window of the
smoking-room, looking out on the life of the little town and
wondering. There, across the street, immediately in front of the hotel
was the bank