"At all events you can give me your advice. To suspect amounts to little. We must bring home the crime to him. It is here that I need your advice."
"I understand that the box contained government bonds."
"Yes."
"What were the denominations?"
"One ten thousand dollar bond, one five, and ten of one thousand each."
"It seems to me they ought to be traced. I suppose, of course, they were coupon, not registered."
"You are right. Had they been registered, I should have been at no trouble, nor would the thief have reaped any advantage."
"If coupon, they are, of course, numbered. Won't that serve as a clue, supposing an attempt is made to dispose of them?"
"You touch the weak point of my position. They are numbered, and I had a list of the numbers, but that list has disappeared. It is either lost or mislaid. Of course, I can't identify them."
"That is awkward. Wouldn't the banker of whom you bought them be able to give you the numbers?"