the respective parties. After the morning service was over, the Rector
met his poor in the vestry, and George delivered to each claimant the
packet inscribed for him. This was always followed by a short address,
and an earnest prayer from Dr. Leatrim. It was a happy day for him and
George, who seemed to enjoy it as much as his father.

'You may imagine the consternation of the Rector, when he opened the
box on the Saturday morning, and found the same deficiency which had
struck him as so remarkable on the previous Christmas.

'The Earl of B---- generally gave a five-sovereign gold piece at
Easter, and his numerous lordly visitors always followed suit. The
Doctor was never behind-hand with his noble neighbours, and many of the
well-to-do yeomen gave their sovereigns and half-sovereigns, and there
was no lack of silver.

'This day not a single gold piece was to be found in the box. The
conviction was unwillingly forced upon the Rector's mind that the
church had been robbed both before and now. But by whom? It was a
Bramah lock, the secret only known to himself, Ralph, and his son
George.

'The good man felt fear clutch at his heart with an iron grip. But the
thing had to be investigated, however repugnant to his feelings.

'Before he mentioned it to his family, and in order to satisfy his own
uneasiness, Dr. Leatrim thought it best to obtain a private interview
with the Earl, and inquire what he had given, as a foundation upon
which to ground his own investigations. The information he obtained
from this quarter did not lessen the difficulty.