On comparing the two examples, however, I observed that, though both
struck from the same die and apparently at the same mint (to judge by
the letter), they differed slightly from one another in two minute
accidental particulars. My coin, being of course merely stamped with a
hammer and then cut to shape, after the fashion of the time, was rather
more closely clipped round the edge than the Museum specimen; and it had
also a slight dent on the obverse side, just below the W of Wulfric. In
all other respects the two examples were of necessity absolutely
identical.
I stood for a long time gazing at the case and examining the two
duplicates with the deepest interest, while the Museum keeper (a man of
the name of Mactavish, whom I had often seen before on previous visits)
walked about within sight, as is the rule on all such occasions, and
kept a sharp look-out that I did not attempt to meddle with any of the
remaining coins or cases.
Unfortunately, as it turned out, I had not mentioned to the
superintendent my own possession of a duplicate Wulfric; nor had I
called Mactavish's attention to the fact that I had pulled a coin of my
own for purposes of comparison out of my waistcoat pocket. To say the
truth, I was inclined to be a little secretive as yet about my gold
Wulfric, because until I had found out all that was known about it I did
not want anybody else to be told of my discovery.
At last I had fully satisfied all my curiosity, and was just about to
return the Museum Wulfric to its little round compartment in the neat
case (having already replaced my own duplicate in my waistcoat pocket),
when all at once, I can't say how, I gave a sudden start, and dropped
the coin with a jerk unexpectedly upon the floor of the museum.
It rolled away out of sight in a second, and I stood appalled in an
agony of distress and terror in the midst of the gallery.
Next moment I had hastily called Mactavish to my side, and got him to
lock up the open drawer while we two went down on hands and knees and
hunted through the length and breadth of the gallery for the lost
Wulfric.
It was absolutely hopeless. Plain sailing as the thing seemed, we could
see no trace of the missing coin from one end of the room to the other.
At last I leaned in a cold perspiration against the edge of one of the
glass cabinets, and gave it up in despair with a sinking heart. "It's no
use, Mactavish," I murmured desperately; "the thing's lost, and we shall
never find it."
Mactavish looked me quietly in the face. "In that case, sir," he
answered firmly, "by the rules of the Museum I must call the
superintendent." He put his hand, with no undue violence, but in a
strictly official manner, upon my right shoulder. Then he blew a
whistle. "I'm sorry to be rude to you, sir," he went on, apologetically,
"but by the rules of the Museum I can't take my hand off you till the
superintendent gives me leave to release you."
Another keeper answered the whistle. "Send the superintendent,"
Mactavish said quietly. "A coin missing."
In a minute the superintendent was upon the spot. When Mactavish told
him I had dropped the gold Wulfric of Mercia he shook his head very
ominously. "This is a bad business, Mr. Tait," he said gloomily. "A
unique coin, as you know, and one of the most valuable in the whole of
our large Anglo-Saxon collection."
"Is there a mouse-hole anywhere," I cried in agony; "any place where it
might have rolled down and got mislaid or concealed for the moment?"
The superintendent went down instantly on his own hands and knees,
pulled up every piece of the cocoa-nut matting with minute deliberation,
searched the whole place thoroughly from end to end, but found nothing.
He spent nearly an hour on that thorough search; meanwhile Mactavish
never for a moment relaxed his hold upon me.
At last the superintendent desisted from the search as quite hopeless,
and approached me very politely.
"I'm extremely sorry, Mr. Tait," he said in the most courteous possible
manner, "but by the rules of the Museum I am absolutely compelled either
to search you for the coin or to give you into custody. It may, you
know, have got caught somewhere about your person. No doubt you would
prefer, of the two, that I should look in all your pockets and the folds
of your clothing."
The position was terrible. I could stand it no longer.
"Mr. Harbourne," I said, breaking out once more from head to foot into a
cold sweat, "I must tell you the truth. I have brought a duplicate gold
Wulfric here to-day to compare with the Museum specimen, and I have got
it this very moment in my waistcoat pocket."
The superintendent gazed back at me with a mingled look of incredulity
and pity.
"My dear sir," he answered very gently, "this is altogether a most
unfortunate business, but I'm afraid I must ask you to let me look at
the duplicate you speak of."
I took it, trembling, out of my waistcoat pocket and handed it across to
him without a word. The superintendent gazed at it for a moment in
silence; then, in a tone of the profoundest commiseration, he said
slowly, "Mr. Tait, I grieve to be obliged to contradict you. This is our
own specimen of the gold Wulfric!"
The whole Museum whirled round me violently, and before I knew anything
more I fainted.