“The cheques were duly presented—­by whom I do not know; and although, to my dismay, the modest sums for which I had drawn them had been skilfully altered into quite considerable amounts, they were all paid without demur excepting one.  That one, which had been altered from three pounds to thirty-nine, was drawn upon an account which was already slightly overdrawn.  The cashier became suspicious; the cheque was impounded, and the client communicated with.  Then, of course, the mine exploded.  Not only was this particular forgery detected, but inquiries were set afoot which soon brought to light the others.  Presently circumstances, which I need not describe, threw some suspicion on me.  I at once lost my nerve, and finally made a full confession.

“The inevitable prosecution followed.  It was not conducted vindictively.  Still, I had actually committed the forgeries, and though I endeavoured to cast a part of the blame on to the shoulders of my treacherous confederates, I did not succeed.  Jezzard, it is true, was arrested, but was discharged for lack of evidence, and, consequently, the whole burden of the forgery fell upon me.  The jury, of course, convicted me, and I was sentenced to seven years’ penal servitude.

“During the time that I was in prison an uncle of mine died in Canada, and by the provisions of his will I inherited the whole of his very considerable property, so that when the time arrived for my release, I came out of prison, not only free, but comparatively rich.  I at once dropped my own name, and, assuming that of Alfred Draper, began to look about for some quiet spot in which I might spend the rest of my days in peace, and with little chance of my identity being discovered.  Such a place I found in Sundersley, and here I have lived for the last seven years, liked and respected, I think, by my neighbours, who have little suspected that they were harbouring in their midst a convicted felon.

“All this time I had neither seen nor heard anything of my four confederates, and I hoped and believed that they had passed completely out of my life.  But they had not.  Only a month ago I met them once more, to my sorrow, and from the day of that meeting all the peace and security of my quiet existence at Sundersley have vanished.  Like evil spirits they have stolen into my life, changing my happiness into bitter misery, filling my days with dark forebodings and my nights with terror.”

Here Mr. Draper paused, and seemed to sink into a gloomy reverie.

“Under what circumstances did you meet these men?” Thorndyke asked.

“Ah!” exclaimed Draper, arousing with sudden excitement, “the circumstances were very singular and suspicious.  I had gone over to Eastwich for the day to do some shopping.  About eleven o’clock in the forenoon I was making some purchases in a shop when I noticed two men looking in the window, or rather pretending to do so, whilst they conversed earnestly.  They were smartly dressed, in a horsy