--and she will not trouble you. Give me a thousand pounds, and you shall
have these;" and he held out a packet containing the marriage
certificate, a photograph of Jessie's father dipping a sheep, a
receipted bill for a pair of white gloves, size 9-1/2, two letters
signed "Your own loving little Andy Pandy", and a peppermint with "Jess"
on it in pink. "Once these are locked up in your safe, no one need never
know that you were married in Cornwall twenty-five years ago."
Without a moment's hesitation Mr. Bellingham took a handful of
bank-notes from his pocket-book, and the exchange was made. At all costs
he must preserve his little Hyacinth from shame. Now she need never
know. With a forced smile he bowed Jasper out, placed the packet in his
safe and returned to his desk.
Illustration: The Theft.
But his mysterious visitor was not done with yet. As soon as the door
had closed behind him Jasper re-entered softly, drugged Andrew hastily,
and took possession again of the compromising documents. By the time Mr.
Bellingham had regained his senses the thief was away. A hue-and-cry was
raised, police whistles were blown, and Richard Harrington, Mr.
Bellingham's private secretary, was smartly arrested.
At the trial things looked black against Richard. He was poor and he
was in love with Hyacinth; the chain of evidence was complete. In spite
of his impassioned protest from the dock, in spite of Hyacinth's
dramatic swoon in front of the solicitors' table, the judge with great
solemnity passed sentence of twenty years' penal servitude. A loud
"Hear, hear" from the gallery rang through the court, and, looking up,
Mr. Bellingham caught the sardonic eye of the mysterious Jasper.