Page:What will he do with it.djvu/461

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WHAT WILL HE DO WITH IT?
451

in Gnnston's favorite walk—Gunston having remarked, some days before, that he should like a seat there, and Losely having undertaken to make one from a design by Pugin. Still loth to believe in Losely's guilt, Gunston went to London with the police superintendent, the valet, and the neighboring attorney. They had no difficulty in finding Losely; he was at his son's lodgings in the City, near the commercial house in which the son was a clerk. On being told of the robbery, he seemed at first unaffectedly surprised, evincing no fear. He was asked whether he had gone into the study about two o'clock in the morning.? He said, " No; why should I?" The valet ex- claimed, "But I saw you—I knew you by that old gray cloak, with the red lining. Why, there it is now—on that chair yonder. I'll swear it is the same." Losely then began to tremble visi- bly, and grew extremely pale. A question was next put to him as to the nail, but he seemed quite stupefied, muttering, " Good Heavens! the cloak—you mean to say you saw that cloak?" They searched his person—found on him some sovereigns, sil- ver, and one bank-note for five pounds. The number on that bank-note corresponded with a number in Gunston's pocket- book. He was asked to say where he got that five-pound note. He refused to answer. Gunston said, " It is one of the notes stolen from me!" Losely cried fiercely, " Take care what you say! How do you know?" Gunston replied, " I took an ac- count of the numbers of my notes on leaving your room. Here is the memorandum in my pocket-book—see—" Losely looked, and fell back as if shot. Losely's brother-in-law was in the room at the time, and he exclaimed, " Oh, William! you can't be guilty. You are the honestest fellow in the world. There must be some mistake, gentlemen. Where did you get the note Wil- liam—say?" Losely made no answer, but seemed lost in thought or stupefaction. " I will go for your son, William—per- haps he may help to explain." Losely then seemed to wake up. "My son! what! would you expose me before my son? he's gone into the country, as you know. What has he to do with it? I took the notes—there—I have confessed. Have done with it," or words to that effect.'

"Nothing more of importance," said the Colonel, turning over the leaves of his MS., "except to account for the crime. And here we come back to the money-lender. You remember the valet said that a gentleman had called on Losely two days before the robbery. This proved to be the identical bill-dis- counter to whom Losely had paid away his fortune. This person deposed that Losely had written to him some days be-