But how could she explain her husband’s statements as to the cheque, which had been shown to be altogether false?  All this passed between Mr Walker and Mrs Crawley, and the lawyer was very gentle with her.  In the first stages of the inquiry he had simply desired to learn the truth, and place the clergyman above suspicion.  Latterly, being bound as he was to follow up officially, he would not have seen Mrs Crawley, had he been able to escape that lady’s importunity.  ‘Mr Walker,’ she had said, at last, ’you do not know my husband.  No one knows him but I. It is hard to have to tell you all of our troubles.’  ’If I can lessen them, trust me that I will do so,’ said the lawyer.  ’No one, I think, can lessen them in this world,’ said the lady.  ’The truth is, sir, that my husband often knows not what he says.  When he declared that the money had been paid to him by Mr Soames, most certainly he thought so.  There are times when in his misery he knows not what he says—­when he forgets everything.’

Up to this period Mr Walker had not suspected Mr Crawley of anything dishonest, nor did he suspect him as yet.  The poor man had probably received the money from the dean, and had told the lie about it, not choosing to own that he had taken the money from his rich friend, and thinking that there would be no further inquiry.  He had been very foolish, and that would be the end of it.  Mr Soames was by no means so good-natured in his belief.  ’How should my pocket-book have got into Dean Arabin’s hands?’ said Mr Soames, almost triumphantly.  ’And then I felt sure at the time that I had left it at Crawley’s house!’

Mr Walker wrote a letter to the dean, who at that moment was in Florence, on his way to Rome, from whence he was going on to the Holy Land.  There came back a letter from Mr Arabin, saying that on the 17th March he had given to Mr Crawley a sum of fifty pounds and that the payment had been made in five Bank of England notes of ten pounds each, which had been handed to his friend in the library at the deanery.  The letter was very short, and, may, perhaps, be described as having been almost curt.  Mr Walker, in his anxiety to do the best he could for Mr Crawley, had simply asked a question as to the nature of the transaction between the two gentlemen, saying that no doubt the dean’s answer would clear up a little mystery which existed at present respecting a cheque for twenty pounds.  The dean in answer simply stated the fact as it had been given above; but he wrote to Mr Crawley begging to know what was in truth this new difficulty, and offering any assistance in his power.  He explained all the circumstances of the money, as he remembered them.  The sum advanced had certainly consisted of fifty pounds, and there had certainly been five Bank of England notes.  He had put the notes into an envelope, which he had not closed, but had addressed to Mr Crawley, and had placed this envelope in his friend’s hands.  He went on to say that Mrs Arabin would have written, but she was in Paris with her son.  Mrs Arabin was to remain in Paris during his absence in the Holy Land, and meet him in Italy on his return.  As she was so much nearer at hand, the dean expressed a hope that Mrs Crawley would apply to her if there was any trouble.