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“Hi! Chadwick!”

“What’s up?” asked Chadwick, unwillingly stopping.

“Mrs Clayton Vernon’s been to the station an hour ago or hardly, about a purse as she says she thinks she must have left in your car. I was just coming across to tell your inspector.”

“Tell him, then, my lad,” said Chadwick, curtly, and hurried on towards the Hillport car. His manner to policemen always mingled the veteran with the comrade, and most of them indeed regarded him as an initiate of the craft. Still, his behaviour on this occasion did somewhat surprise the young policeman who had accosted him. And undoubtedly Thomas Chadwick was scarcely acting according to the letter of the law. His proper duty was to hand over all articles found in his car instantly to the police–certainly not to keep them concealed on his person with a view to restoring them with his own hands to their owners. But Thomas Chadwick felt that, having once been a policeman, he was at liberty to interpret the law to suit his own convenience. He caught the Hillport car, and nodded the professional nod to its conductor, asking him a technical question, and generally showing to the other passengers on the platform that he was not as they, and that he had important official privileges. Of course, he travelled free; and of course he stopped the car when, its conductor being inside, two ladies signalled to it at the bottom of Oldcastle Street. He had meant to say nothing whatever about his treasure and his errand to the other conductor; but somehow, when fares had been duly collected, and these two stood chatting on the platform, the gold purse got itself into the conversation, and presently the other conductor knew the entire history, and had even had a glimpse of the purse itself.

Opposite the entrance to Mrs Clayton Vernon’s grounds at Hillport Thomas Chadwick slipped neatly, for all his vast bulk, off the swiftly-gliding car. (A conductor on a car but not on duty would sooner perish by a heavy fall than have a car stopped in order that he might descend from it.) And Thomas Chadwick heavily crunched the gravel of the drive leading up to Mrs Clayton Vernon’s house, and imperiously rang the bell.

“Mrs Clayton Vernon in?” he officially asked the responding servant.

“She’s in,” said the servant. Had Thomas Chadwick been wearing his broadcloth she would probably have added “sir.”

“Well, will you please tell her that Mr Chadwick–Thomas Chadwick–wants to speak to her?”

“Is it about the purse?” the servant questioned, suddenly brightening into eager curiosity.

“Never you mind what it’s about, miss,” said Thomas Chadwick, sternly.

At the same moment Mrs Clayton Vernon’s grey-curled head appeared behind the white cap of the servant. Probably she had happened to catch some echo of Thomas Chadwick’s great rolling voice. The servant retired.

“Good-evening, m’m,” said Thomas Chadwick, raising his hat airily. “Good-evening.” He beamed.

“So you did find it?” said Mrs Vernon, calmly smiling. “I felt sure it would be all right.”

“Oh, yes, m’m.” He tried to persuade himself that this sublime confidence was characteristic of great ladies, and a laudable symptom of aristocracy. But he would have preferred her to be a little less confident. After all, in the hands of a conductor less honourable than himself, of a common conductor, the purse might not have been so “all right” as all that! He would have preferred to witness the change on Mrs Vernon’s features from desperate anxiety to glad relief. After all, L50, 10s. was money, however rich you were!

“Have you got it with you?” asked Mrs Vernon.

“Yes’m,” said he. “I thought I’d just step up with it myself, so as to be sure.”

“It’s very good of you!”

“Not at all,” said he; and he produced the purse. “I think you’ll find it as it should be.”

Mrs Vernon gave him a courtly smile as she thanked him.

“I’d like ye to count it, ma’am,” said Chadwick, as she showed no intention of even opening the purse.