understand unless you saw them.'

'That is a painful circumstance,' said Gideon; he glanced pityingly in

the direction of the culprit, and, observing on his countenance every

mark of confusion, pityingly withdrew his eyes.

'And that would be nothing,' continued Mr Dickson sternly, 'but I

wish--I wish from my heart, sir, I could say that Mr Thomas's hands were

clean. He has no excuse; for he was engaged at the time--and is still

engaged--to the belle of Constantinople, Ga. My friend's conduct was

unworthy of the brutes that perish.'

'Ga.?' repeated Gideon enquiringly.

'A contraction in current use,' said Michael. 'Ga. for Georgia, in The

same way as Co. for Company.'

'I was aware it was sometimes so written,' returned the barrister, 'but

not that it was so pronounced.'

'Fact, I assure you,' said Michael. 'You now see for yourself, sir, that

if this unhappy person is to be saved, some devilish sharp practice will

be needed. There's money, and no desire to spare it. Mr Thomas could

write a cheque tomorrow for a hundred thousand. And, Mr Forsyth,

there's better than money. The foreign count--Count Tarnow, he calls

himself--was formerly a tobacconist in Bayswater, and passed under

137

The Wrong Box