knows not what he says. When he declared that the money had been paid to
him by Mr Soames, most certainly he thought so. There are times when in
his misery he knows not what he says--when he forgets everything.'

Up to this period Mr Walker had not suspected Mr Crawley of anything
dishonest, nor did he suspect him as yet. The poor man had probably
received the money from the dean, and had told the lie about it, not
choosing to own that he had taken the money from his rich friend, and
thinking that there would be no further inquiry. He had been very
foolish, and that would be the end of it. Mr Soames was by no means so
good-natured in his belief. 'How should my pocket-book have got into
Dean Arabin's hands?' said Mr Soames, almost triumphantly. 'And then I
felt sure at the time that I had left it at Crawley's house!'

Mr Walker wrote a letter to the dean, who at that moment was in
Florence, on his way to Rome, from whence he was going on to the Holy
Land. There came back a letter from Mr Arabin, saying that on the 17th
March he had given to Mr Crawley a sum of fifty pounds and that the
payment had been made in five Bank of England notes of ten pounds each,
which had been handed to his friend in the library at the deanery. The
letter was very short, and, may, perhaps, be described as having been
almost curt. Mr Walker, in his anxiety to do the best he could for Mr
Crawley, had simply asked a question as to the nature of the transaction
between the two gentlemen, saying that no doubt the dean's answer would
clear up a little mystery which existed at present respecting a cheque
for twenty pounds. The dean in answer simply stated the fact as it had
been given above; but he wrote to Mr Crawley begging to know what was in
truth this new difficulty, and offering any assistance in his power. He
explained all the circumstances of the money, as he remembered them. The
sum advanced had certainly consisted of fifty pounds, and there had