10 A Short Head 



CHAPTER III 



Suddenly an idea flashed across his active brain. His 

 eye brightened and the blood mounted to his cheek, for 

 he had hit on a brilliant notion to be thought out at 

 leisure in the train which was just approaching the 

 platform as he reached it. 



This was the idea. Weymouth, as he had every 

 reason to believe, could not have received his letter de- 

 clining the commission. If not, and if he could only 

 substitute another letter pretending that he had got the 

 money on, Weymouth would pay him the 5,000/., he 

 could pay the two thousand odd, and would make nearly 

 3,000Z. by the transaction ! If only Weymouth had not 

 received the letter? That was the question. It was 

 more important than the El Dorado business ; however, 

 he could wire Isaacson, saying he would be detained half 

 an hour or so, and meantime drive to AVeymouth's rooms 

 and see what had happened. The plot seemed flawless, 

 at least he had detected no weak point in it when the train 

 drew up at Vauxhall, and there, dashing into a hansom, 

 he gave the man directions to drive first to his chambers, 

 for the letter must of course be written on his own note- 

 paper, and he must fetch a sheet and an envelope. He 

 had not to go far out of his way, and was speedily at 

 Weymouth's door — if only he were still away and had 

 not received that letter ! 



' Is Sir Henry in ? ' he asked the man. 



'No, sir. Sir Henry went out this morning, sir. 

 Said he would be home to dress for dinner,' was the 

 reply. 



