"Miss Fleming, would you object to being a witness against Hall, if it becomes necessary?"
She hesitated a little but finally said if it would help her friends in any way she "would try."
It was not necessary, however; for the prosecuting attorney, armed with the letters and telegrams and a witness ready to identify him, had no difficulty in having Hall committed for trial—without bail, owing to Carden's alarming telegram.
Having Hall, now, where he could lay his hand on him when required, Blount accompanied Miss Fleming and Mr. Gerard, her escort, as far as Manchester, and then hurried on to London. No matter how the trial for duelling turned out—and he shrewdly suspected Martin would refuse to appear in it—there was a great deal to be done before it came on.
The first news he received in London was regarding the stolen draft presented at Baring's. Being detailed specially for Martin's matter, this was given as news and not as bearing on his case, as was the additional fact that no trace could be found of the owner, who was now supposed to have been murdered.
Blount in a professional way asked who was the thief and the amount of the draft.
The reply rather startled him. The thief was well known to him as a friend of Jaggers, and the amount of the draft twelve thousand pounds. Then Blount did some very brilliant thinking, which resulted in his calling on the man who had presented the draft.
"Hello, Sanders! Got you again, have they! I say! What did Jaggers do with the rest of the stuff?" Mr. Blount asked, carelessly.
"How do I know? Blast——" Mr. Sanders stopped suddenly. He had steadily refused to talk so far, but his week's imprisonment had not improved an unusually bad temper, and it had got the better of him.
Mr. Blount could be a perfect Job's comforter when occasion required, as is proved by the following: