The package was produced and held before Burton. The young man was too astonished for speech.
“Well, what have you to say about it?” said Graves, at last.
“It is the stolen package,” said Burton, with a dry sob. “But how it got there God only knows.” He put his hand to his head; he looked around as one dazed, bewildered; his eye fell on the crack of the door, and through that crack he caught the gleam of another eye, blue-black as a hail-cloud on a summer night. He gasped, and would have rushed for the door, but Graves detained him.
“There’s no hurry, Burton,” he explained. “Perhaps you will see your way to make a clear breast of this business. If Mr. Gardiner gets his money back I think he might be big-hearted enough to withdraw the charge, although you have no right to expect such treatment from him, after betraying his trust in this way, and then trying to brazen it out as you have done. Of course, it’s a criminal charge, and out of Gardiner’s hands, but there’s more ways of killing a dog than choking it with butter. I have something to do with the Department, and I promise you that if you come out and clean this thing up and express your regret there’ll be no true bill found against you. The money is all there, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t know any of it was there. I——”
Gardiner picked up the package and turned it over in his hands; suddenly it almost dropped from his fingers. “This package has been opened,” he said to Graves.
The detective took it and withdrew the bills. They were bright, new ten dollar bank notes. He counted them.
“Well, I congratulate you, Gardiner. The package has been opened, but only one bill is gone. And the serial letter and number compare with the memo, furnished us by the bank. You have your money back, practically complete. What am I to do with this man?”
“Let him go. Burton, I’m sorry,” said Gardiner.
“No, I won’t let him go,” said Graves. “He has refused a fair chance of liberty; now he must take the consequences. I advise you, Gardiner, to withdraw your bail. One of these days this fine fellow will be across the line.”