me and told me that his wife
was away and that he was giving a little dinner-party to my brother
Simon and to Coppinger. They were already at his house, and he and they
were anxious that I should join them. Now, I knew quite enough of my
brother Simon, and of Coppinger, and of Mallett himself to know that if
they wanted my company it was with some ulterior motive, and being a
straightforward man I said so there and then. Mallett admitted it--they
had, he said, a matter of business to propose to me. I had no objection
and I went with him. What the girl, Louisa Speck, has told you about
what happened after I entered the Bank House is quite correct--she's a
reliable and a good witness and gave her evidence most intelligently.
She took me up into Mallett's dressing-room, showed me where I could get
what I wanted, and left me to make my toilet. I helped myself to clean
linen, and I have no doubt whatever that the handkerchief which I took
from one of the drawers which the girl had opened for me was that of Dr.
Wellesley's of which we have heard so much in this case. I say, I have
no doubt whatever about that--in fact, I am sure of it.

"Having made my toilet, I went downstairs and joined my host and his
other guests. We had a glass or two of Mallett's excellent sherry, and
in due course we dined--dined very well indeed. When dinner was over,
Mallett got up some of his old port, and we settled down to our business
talk. I very quickly discovered why I had been brought into it. What we
may call the war between Wallingford, as leader of the reform party, and
the Town Trustees, as representatives of the old system, had come to a
definite stage, and Mallett, Coppinger, and my brother, Simon, realized
that it was high time they opened negotiations with the enemy. They
wanted, in short, to come to terms, and they were anxious that I, as a
lawyer, as a man thoroughly acquainted with the affairs of the borough,
and as a former official of high standing, should act as intermediary,
or ambassador, or go-between, whatever you like to call it, in the
matter at issue between them and Wallingford. Of course I was willing.

"Mallett acted as chief spokesman, in putting matters plainly before me.
He said that Wallingford, since his election as Mayor of Hathelsborough,
had found out a lot--a great deal more than they wished him to know. He
had accumulated facts, figures, statistics; he had contrived to possess
himself of a vast amount of inf