TURNING THE TABLES
ARTHUR went to the police court in good time the next morning, hoping to be able to talk to Mr. Andrews before he was called to stand before the magistrate. He was not satisfied with the lawyer's suggestion that nothing should be said about the post office order and missing letter. While the matter was about, he wanted the whole of it cleared up, if such a thing was possible.
But he found that Mr. Andrews was engaged in talking the affair over with Lady Mary's solicitor, for nothing less than an entire withdrawal of the charge against Arthur, and an ample apology for having made the charge, would satisfy Mr. Andrews.
At length Arthur managed to gain admission to the room where the lawyer's conference was being held.
"Good-morning, my lad!" said his friend, turning his heated face to meet him. He had just got his opponent to agree to his demands, and was flushed with the sense of victory over a keener man than himself.
"It's all right, Mr. Murray," he said in a whisper. "The proceedings will be very formal to-day. Mr. Simmons is well enough to come and see to things himself, and we shall soon have it over."
"But I hope you will speak about the missing letter and post office order. Let us get it all cleared up while we are about it. You know, Adrian said, 'If he had the cheque, I had the letter', and that was what he must have meant—that I had stolen the post office order for three pounds, while he had only two out of the cheque. He may have thought he had a right to take that, as he wanted it and it was his mother's money," said Arthur, by way of excuse for his cousin.
"Well, that may be so, but it does not excuse Lady Mary from charging you with stealing the cheque. I will mention the postal order, and clear your character while we are about it."
So when Arthur was called to stand in the dock once more, it was only to hear Mr. Simmons state that by desire of Lady Mary, he wished to withdraw the charge and all imputation upon the character of Mr. Murray, and also to offer an apology for the distress and inconvenience he had suffered through this charge being made against him.
Then Mr. Andrews had a word to say. In accepting the apology, and consenting to the withdrawal without calling his witnesses, who could prove Mr. Murray's innocence of all complicity in this theft, he had to say that the matter was not wholly cleared up, as the letter containing the post office order was still unaccounted for. But it was reasonable to suppose that the person who took the cheque, and bought the post office order for three pounds, afterwards repented this step, and deciding that he had a right to the use of all the money, did not post the letter as he had stated, but converted it to his own use, as they knew now that he owed several debts in the town.