There had been some indiscretion among Caldigate’s friends from which it resulted that, while Judge Bramber was considering the matter, and before the police intelligence of Scotland Yard even had stirred itself in obedience to the judge’s orders, nearly all the circumstances which had been submitted to the judge had become public. Shand knew all that Bagwax had done. Bagwax was acquainted with the whole of Dick’s evidence. And Hester down at Folking understood perfectly what had been revealed by each of those enthusiastic allies. Dick, as we know, had been staying at Folking, and had made his presence notable throughout the county. He had succeeded in convincing uncle Babington, and had been judged to be a false witness by all the Boltons In that there had perhaps been no great indiscretion But when Bagwax opened a correspondence with Mrs. John Caldigate and explained to her at great length all the circumstances of the postmark and the postage-stamps, and when at her instance he got a day’s holiday and rushed down to Folking, then, as he felt himself, he was doing that of which Sir John Joram and Mr. Jones would not approve. But he could not restrain himself. And why should he restrain himself when he had lost all hope of his journey to Sydney? When the prospect of that delight no longer illumined his days, why should he not enjoy the other delight of communicating his tidings, — his own discoveries,— to the afflicted lady? Unless he did so it would appear to her that Joram had done it all, and there would be no reward,— absolutely none! So he told his tale,— at first by letter and then with his own natural eloquence. ‘Yes, Mrs. Caldigate the postmarks are difficult. It takes a lifetime of study to understand..all the ins and outs of postmarks To me it is A B C of course. When I had spent a week or two looking into it I was sure that impression had never been made in the way of business Bagwax was sitting out on the lawn at Folking and the bereaved wife, dressed in black, was near him, holding in her hand one of the photographed copies of the envelope. ‘It’s A B C to me; but I don’t wonder you shouldn’t see it.’

‘I think I do see a good deal,’ said Hester.

‘But any babe may understand that,’ said Bagwax, pressing forward and putting his forefinger on the obliteration of the postage-stamp. ‘You see the date in the postmark.’

‘I know the date very well.’

‘We’ve had it proved that on the date given there, this identical postage-stamp had not yet been manufactured The Secretary of State can’t get over that. I’ll defy him.’

‘Why don’t they release him at once then?

‘Between you and me, Mrs. Caldigate, I think it’s Judge Bramber.’

‘He can’t want to injure an innocent man.

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