The Wrong Box

miscarried, and it was essential to recover it. So much was clear; and if, by some blest good fortune, it was still at the station, a

ried his hand to his damp forehead. The private conception of any breach of law is apt to be inspiriting, for the scheme (while yet inchoate) wears dashing and attractive colours. Not so in the least that part of the criminal’s later reflections which deal with

enquired the cabman

s shilling after all. ‘It would be madness to attract attention,’ thought he.

ract no remark, which was a good thing; but, on the other hand, he was making no progress in his quest. Something must be done, something must be risked. Every passing instant only added to his dangers. Summoning all his courage, he

t reluctantly, ‘but I’ll ask Bill. Do you recollect, Bill, to hav

Bill; ‘but the party as received the b

the agitation of the moment pres

r “Wili’m Bent Pitman,” if I recollect right. “I don’t exactly know,” sez I, “but I rather fancy that there barrel bears that name.” The little man went up to the barrel, and seemed regularly all took aba

take it?’ cried th

Pitman he seemed a good deal cut up, and he had the superintendent out, and they got hold of the vanman — him as took the packing-case. Well, sir,’ continued Bill, with a smile, ‘I never see a man

d he say?’ g

r. He had lost his book, too, and the receipts, and his men were all as mortal as himself. O, they we

rris, with a bursting sigh. ‘He couldn’t

Bill, ‘nor ye

t did Pitman do

er, very trembling like,’ replied Bill. ‘I don’

l’s gone,’ said Mor

eturned the porter. ‘But you had

,’ said Morris. ‘It only contained sp

urse, and, since the loss of the water-butt, that it was uncertain in its consequences. Quietly at first, and then with growing heat, he reviewed the advantages of backing out. It involved a loss; but (come to think of it) no such great loss after all; only that of the tontine, which had been always a toss-up, which at bottom he had never really expected. He reminded himself of that

like a Jack-in-a-box. ‘I have not only not gaine

he had lost the tontine! There was no hesitation on the part of Morris; to drop the tontine like a hot chestnut, to concentrate all his forces on the leather business and the rest of his small but legitimate inheritance, w

contain Morris and his woes. He paid the ha

ecipitation,’ he reflected, with a deadly sigh. ‘I fear

rly, put it all down on paper. ‘Well, the old boy knew a thing or two,’ said Morris

e them heavily. He tried the pen. It was an excellent pen, but what was he to write? ‘I have it,’ cried Morris.

e’s body. 1. But t

etting the spirit of antithesis ru

body. 1. But then I no

save that if Pitman disposes of the body, and if

rest of my uncle’s succession. 3. But no

he worst; but in a case of this kind a man’s first duty is to his own nerve. Is there any answer to No. 3? Is there any possible good side to such a beastly bungle? There must be, of

t of my uncle’s succession. 3. But not if I

rtificate that my uncle is dead, so that I may get the leather business; and then that he’s al

ney. 4. But there

in the bank. 5. But — well, th

6. But if Pitman is only a dishonest man, the presence of this bill may

l know who Joseph is, and he may blackmail me. 7. Yes, bu

is, besides, a very dangerous thing to

r current expenses, and I have none to give.

all the ship I hav

nt money, and I have

doctor will want m

t and don’t send me to gaol,

he financial point that my position is weakest,’ he reflected. ‘Is there positively no way of raising the wind? In a vast city like this, and surrounded by all the resources of civilization, it seems not to be conceived! Let us have no more precipitatio

uld do; any other man in Christendom would forge; although I don’t know why I call it forging, either, when Joseph’s dead, and the funds are my own. When I think of that, when I think that my uncle is really as dead as mutton, and th

he sidewalk and heave

, and even if I was found out, I wouldn’t greatly care — morally, I mean. And then, if I succeed, and if Pitman is staunch, there’s nothing to do but find a venal doctor; and that ought to be simple enough in a place like London. By all accounts the town’s alive with them. It

turned up John Street. As he thrust his latchkey in the l

im dead,’ he snarled, and slammed the door behi

it, Morris barked his shins and sprawled all his length over the pedestal of Hercules. The pain was sharp; his temper was already thoroughly undermined; by a last mis

muscle was detached. ‘Yes, I have destroyed a genuine antique; I may be in for thousands!’ And then there sprung up in his bosom a sort of angry hope. ‘Let me see,’ he thought. ‘Julia’s got rid of — there’s no

next, he had fallen upon the packing-case. This had been already seriously undermined by the operations of Gideon; a few well-directed

seps, with all his men and horses, to attack the hills of Panama, than for a single, slim young gentleman, with no previous experience of labour in a quarry, to

ething of that passion which swept the Parisian mob against the walls of the B

d — for he stood a fathom and half in his stocking-feet — offered a preliminary obstacle to this attack. But here, in the first skirmish of the battle, intellect already began to tri

t on the lobby floor. Half an hour more, and all the debris had been laboriously carted to the kitchen; and Morris, with a gentle sentiment of triumph, looked round upon the scene of his achievements. Yes, he could deny all knowledge of it now: the lobby, beyond the fact that it was partly ruinous, betrayed no trace of the passage of

easterly gale was shouting in the streets; flaws of rain angrily assailed the window

itterly, ‘that with all I have to bear,

entirely upon cake. But some of this was found, and (along with what the poets call a glass of fair, c

is trembling for the life of his child or has come from winning the Derby, in his lawyer’s office, or under the bright eyes of his sweetheart. To the vulgar, these see

ncompetence, insidious depression stole upon his spirits. From time to time the wind wuthered in the chimney at his back; from time to time there swept over Bloomsbury a squall so dark that he must rise and light the gas; about him was the chill and the mean disorder of a house out of commission —

t was a talent that I didn’t possess.’ He went once more minutely through his proofs. ‘A cl

hn Street traced his uncle’s signature. It was a poor thing at the best. ‘But it must do,’ said he, as he stood gazing woefully on hi

emed to view it with surprise; and as he turned it this way and that, and even scrutinized the signature with a magnifying-glass, his surprise appeared to warm into disfavour. Begging to be excused for a

id the gentlemanly man, fixing Morr

d Morris, quavering. ‘

ather surprised at receiving this,’ said the othe

ow myself there must be eight-and-twen

’ replied the gentlemanly man

’ cried

. ‘Not only that, but we discounted a bill for hi

Mr Judkin,’ re

cried Morris, s

pardon,’ sai

ly an expletive

hing wrong, Mr Fins

h laugh,’ is that the whole thing’s impossible

rom Mr Judkin. ‘But this cheque is dated in London, an

Morris, and a deep tide of c

Mr Judkin, but he looked

his is a very trifling sum to overdraw — our firm — the name of

it into consideration; but I hardly think — in short, Mr Finsbury, if ther

ent on, with a bold stroke, ‘my uncle is so far from well at present that he was unable to sign this cheque

into Morris’s face; and then

detectives on at once. As for this cheque of yours, I regret that, owing to the way it was signed, the ban

cally; he was thinking of

an, ‘I believe the loss falls on u

s responsible, and the bank will either recover

hen it was visited by

my hands. I’ll sift the matter. I’ve an idea, at any rate

four thousand pounds; it will spend as much more if necessary. An undiscovered forger is a per

ly. ‘I order you to abandon the search.’ He

his matter, which is one between your uncle and ourselves. If he should take this

ssible,’ cr

w my hands are tied. The whole affair must

d the cheque and restored

d he, and scrambled s

usinesslike. But it doesn’t matter; all’s up with everything. The money has been paid; the police are on the sc

bank after his departure he would have b

us affair, Mr Bel

ll, ‘but I think we ha

empt, and the house have dealt with us so long that I was anxious to deal gently. But I s

t,’ said Mr Bell with a chuckle. ‘He exp

ime he calls ask him to step into my room

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