306 WYLDER'S
"Satisfactory, I hope?" said Lake as before.
"Foul play, sir."
"Foul play—is there? What is he doing now?"
said Lake in the same languid way, his elbows on the
arms of his chair, stooping forward, and looking serenely
on the floor, like a man who is tired of his work, and en-
joys his respite.
"Why, Captain Lake, the matter is this — it amounts,
in fact, to fraud. It is plain that the letters are writ-
ten in batches — several at a time — and committed to
some one to carry from town to town, and post, having
previously filled in dales to make them correspond with
the exact period of posting them."
The attorney's searching gaze was fixed on the Cap-
tain, as he said this, with all the significance consistent
with civility; but he could not observe the slightest in-
dication of change. I daresay the Captain felt his gaze
upon him, and he undoubtedly heard his emphasis, but
he plainly did not take either to himself.
"Indeed! that is very odd," said Captain Lake.
"Very odd," echoed the attorney.
It struck Mr. Larkin that his gallant friend was a
little over-acting, and showing perhaps less interest in
the discovery than was strictly natural.
"But how can you show it?" said Lake with a slight
ya\^3. "Wylder is such a fellow. I don't the least
pretend to understand him. It may be a freak of his."
"I don't think, Captain Lake, that is exactly a possi-
ble solution here. I don't think, sir, he would write
two letters, one referring back to the other, at the same
time, and post and date the latter more than a week be-
fore the other."
"Oh!" said Lake, quietly, for the first time exhibit-
ing a slight change of countenance, and looking peevish
and excited: ' yes, that certainly does look very oddly."