‘He is my uncle.’

’I telegraphed to him, telling him that I had given Mr Crawley the cheque, and then I wrote to Archdeacon Grantly giving him the whole history.  I was obliged to come here before I could return home, but I intended to start this evening.’

‘And what is the whole history?’ asked John Eames.

The history of the gift of the cheque was very simple.  It has been told how Mr Crawley in his dire distress had called upon his old friend at the deanery asking for pecuniary assistance.  This he had done with so much reluctance that his spirit had given way while he was waiting in the dean’s library, and he had wished to depart without accepting what the dean was quite willing to bestow upon him.  From this cause it had come to pass there had been no time for explanatory words, even between the dean and his wife—­from whose private funds had in truth come the money which had been given to Mr Crawley.  For the private wealth of the family belonged to Mrs Arabin, and not to the dean; and was left entirely in Mrs Arabin’s hands, to be disposed of as she might please.  Previously to Mr Crawley’s arrival at the deanery this matter had been discussed between the dean and his wife, and it had been agreed between them that a sum of fifty pounds should be given.  It should be given by Mrs Arabin, but it was thought that the gift would come with more comfort to the recipient from the hands of his old friend than from those of his wife.  There had been much discussion between them as to the mode in which this might be done with the least offence to the man’s feelings—­for they knew Mr Crawley and his peculiarities well.  At last it was agreed that the notes should be put into an envelope, which envelope the dean should have ready with him.  But when the moment came the dean did not have the envelope ready, and was obliged to leave the room to seek his wife.  And Mrs Arabin explained to John Eames that even she had not had it ready, and had been forced to go to her own desk to fetch it.  Then, at the last moment, with the desire of increasing the good to be done to people who were so terribly in want, she put the cheque for twenty pounds, which was in her possession as money of her own, along with the notes, and in this way the cheque had been given by the dean to Mr Crawley.  ’I shall never forgive myself for not telling the dean,’ she said.  ’Had I done that all this trouble would have been saved.’

‘But where did you get the cheque?’ Eames asked with natural curiosity.

‘Exactly,’ said Mrs Arabin.  ’I have got to show now that I did not steal it—­have I not?  Mr Soames will indict me now.  And, indeed, I have had some trouble to refresh my memory as to all the particulars, for you see it is more than a year past.’  But Mrs Arabin’s mind was clearer on such matters than Mr Crawley’s, and she was able to explain that she had taken the cheque as part of the rent due to her from the landlord