He lit a candle and placed it in the grate.  “Come now,” Meadows said coolly, “burn them; then they will tell no tale.”

Crawley shrieked:  “No, no, sir!  Don’t think of it, give them to me, and in twelve hours I will be in France!”

Meadows hesitated, and then agreed to give him the notes on condition Crawley went to France that very day.

Crawley kept faith.  He hugged his treasure to his bosom, and sat down at the railway-station waiting for the train.

Old Isaac Levi was there, and a police officer whom Crawley knew.

“You have L7,000 about you, Mr. Crawley,” whispered Isaac in his ear.  “Stolen!  Give it up to the police officer.  Stolen by him, received by you.  Give it up unless you prefer a public search.  Here is a search warrant from the mayor.”

“I won’t without Mr. Meadows’ authority.  Send for Mr. Meadows, if you dare!”

“Well, we will take you to Mr. Meadows.  Keep the money till you see him, but we must secure you.  Let us go in a carriage.”

Meantime, Mr. Meadows had gone to the bank, and had made over the sum of L7,000 to George Fielding and Thomas Robinson.  Then he hastened to the church, for it was his wedding-day, and every delay was dangerous.

The parson was late, and while Meadows stood waiting outside the church, along with old Merton and his daughter, and a crowd of neighbours, George Fielding and Robinson came up.

“Susan!” cried a well-known voice behind her.  The bride turned, and forgot everything at the sight of George’s handsome, honest face, and threw herself into his arms.  George kissed the bride.

“What have you done?” cried Susan.  “You are false to me!  You never wrote me a letter for twelve months, and you are married to a lady in Bathurst!  Oh, George!”

“Who has been telling her I have ever had a thought of any girl but her?” said George sternly.  “Here is the ring you gave me, Susan.”

“Miss Merton and I are to be married to-day,” said Meadows.

“I was there before you, Mr. Meadows, but I won’t stand upon that, and I wouldn’t give a snap of the finger to have her if her will was toward another.  So please yourself, Susan, my lass; only this must end.  Choose between John Meadows and George Fielding.”

Susan looked up in astonishment.

“What choice can there be?  The moment I saw your face I forgot there was a John Meadows in the world!” With that she bolted off home.

George turned to old Merton.

“I crossed the seas on the faith of your promise, and I have brought back the thousand pounds.”

“John,” said old Merton, “I must stand to my word, and I will—­it is justice.”

It was then that Robinson, producing his pocket-book, found they had been robbed.  Despair fell upon George.  But Meadows was promptly hindered from pursuing any advantage by the arrival of Isaac Levi, with a magistrate and police officers.  Presently Crawley was produced.  The game was up.  Levi had overheard all that had passed between Meadows and Crawley.  Crawley turned upon Meadows, and the magistrate had no choice but to commit Meadows for trial, while the notes were returned to their rightful owners.