"I do not know. I fear no one can avail us now."
"May I be very frank with you, sir?"
"Certainly. I am past all pride or fear. There can be nothing worse now."
"I think, sir, you have placed too much confidence in that man. He is not trustworthy."
"How do you know? Can you prove it?"
"Yes, sir. You remember the new chimney?"
"Yes; but he explained that, and collected all the money that had been paid on the supposed extra height of the chimney."
"That was very easy, sir, for he had it in his own pocket. I met some of the work people in the village, and casually asked them how high the chimney was to be, and every man gave the real height. Mr. Belford lied to you about it, and pocketed the difference between his measurements and mine. Of course, when detected he promptly restored the money, and thought himself lucky to have escaped so easily. More than that, he claimed that the chimney was capped with stone. It is not. It is brick to the top, and the upper courses were rubbed over with colored plaster."
"I can hardly believe it. Besides, how can you prove it?"
"That will, sir. Look at it carefully."