"Well, you had better report the thing at once," said several, who were looking on with long faces.
"I shall, right straight," said Geoffrey energetically. His face bore an admirable expression of consternation, checked by the sang froid of an innocent bank-clerk. He strode off into the manager's room.
"Excuse me for interrupting you, sir. I thought it was a hoax at first, but it looks very much as if fifty thousand dollars had been taken from my box."
"What, stolen!"
"Looks like it—very. If you would kindly step this way, sir, I will explain what I know about it."
Geoffrey then showed the manager where the bills had been laid, and did not profess to be able to tell anything more.
"Mr. Northcote, ring up the chief of police, and tell me when he is there," said the manager. "Where is Mr. Cresswell?"
No answer.
"Does anybody know where Mr. Cresswell is?"
Ledger-keeper from A to M then said that Mr. Cresswell went out over an hour ago, and had asked him to look after his ledger for five minutes. Mr. Cresswell had not returned.