It was now five days since the fatal discovery. Mr. Emblem still remained upstairs in his chair; but he was slowly recovering. He clearly remembered that he had been robbed, and the principal sign of the shock was his firm conviction that by his own exercise of memory Iris had been enabled to enter into possession of her own.
As regards the Bill of Sale, he had clean forgotten it. Now, in the morning, there happened a thing which surprised James very much. The Man in Possession was recalled. He went away. So that the money must have been paid. James was so astonished that he ran upstairs to tell Iris.
"Then," said the girl, "we shall not be turned out after all. But who has paid the money?"
It could have been no other than Arnold. Yet when, later in the day, he was taxed with having committed the good action, Arnold stoutly denied it. He had not so much money in the world, he said; in fact, he had no money at all.
"The good man," said the Philosopher, "has friends of whom he knoweth not. As the river returns its waters to the sea, so the heart rejoiceth in returning benefits received."
"Oh, Lala," said Iris. "But on whom have we conferred any benefits?"
"The moon shines upon all alike," said Lala, "and knows not what she illumines."
"Lala Roy," said Arnold, suddenly getting a gleam of intelligence, "it is you who have paid this money."
"You, Lala?"
"No one else could have paid it," said Arnold.