After a few days, a man whom Stebbins did not know, was introduced to him and he was given some instructions on the art of taking wax impressions of keys. He was to use his ingenuity to get an impression of every key that he could lay his hands upon, particularly of one of a small back door that was rarely used. He succeeded in this, and keys which were made from the impressions were sent to him to try. In one or two cases they had to be returned to be tinkered with afresh. At last all was ready and Stebbins was warned to throw up his job on the plea of illness. But the attraction of one of the maids had caused him to delay doing so. He was astonished to read of the burglary on the day that followed his retirement. The day after that he had been handed a parcel containing five hundred one pound treasury notes. These had reached him by a district messenger and there was no indication from whom they came. Nor, as he frankly said, was there any reason for him to make inquiries.

“And,” demanded Labar, “you never saw anyone except Billy Bungey, and this fellow who talked to you about the keys?”