It had been arranged that if he could catch the express from Plymouth he should meet his father at the shop, and arriving at Paddington at half-past six he sprang into a hansom and drove as quickly as possible to Regent Street.
Frithiof just glanced at him inquiringly as he passed through the shop, then, reassured by the expression of his face, turned once more to the fidgety and impatient singing-master who, for the last quarter of an hour, had been keeping him hard at work in hunting up every conceivable song that was difficult to find, and which, when found, was sure to prove unsatisfactory.
He wondered much what had passed at Plymouth, and when at last he had got rid of his customer, Roy returned to the shop with such evident excitement and triumph in his manner that old Foster thought he must be taking leave of his senses.
“My father wants to speak to you, Frithiof,” he said.
And Frithiof followed him into the little inner room which had been the scene of such disagreeable interviews in the past. A strange, dreamlike feeling came over him as he recalled the wretched summer day when the detective had searched him, and in horrible, bewildered misery he had seen the five-pound note, lying on that same leather-covered table, an inexplicable mystery and a damning evidence against him.
But visions of the past faded as Mr. Boniface grasped his hand. “How can I ever apologize enough to you, Frithiof!” he said. “Roy has brought back a full confession from Darnell, and the mystery is entirely cleared up. You must forgive me for the explanation of the affair that I was content with last summer—I can’t tell you how I regret all that you have had to suffer.”
“Here is Darnell’s letter,” said Roy, handing it to him.
And Frithiof read it eagerly, and asked the details of his friend’s visit to Plymouth.
“Will this satisfy Mr. Horner, do you think?” he said, when Roy had told him all about his interview with Darnell.
“It cannot fail to convince every one,” said Mr. Boniface. “It is proof positive that you are free from all blame and that we owe you every possible apology and reparation.”