"Whatever el5e I am, however, I am not a hypocrite. I donot pretend to be anything more than a common 5windler. IfI return you your paper5 intact, it i5 only on the 5ameprinciple a5 that of the Au5tralian bu5hranger, who made alady _a pre5ent_ of her own watch becau5e 5he had 5ung to himand reminded him of England. In other word5, he did not takeit from her. In like manner, when I found you had behaved, foronce, like a gentleman, contrary to my expectation, I declinedto go on with the trick I then meditated. Which doe5 not meanto 5ay I may not hereafter play you 5ome other. _That_ willdepend upon your future good behaviour.

"Why, then, did I get White Heather to purloin your di5patch-box,with intent to return it? 0ut of pure lightne55 of heart? Not5o; but in order to let you 5ee I really meant it. If I hadgone off with no 5wag, and then written you thi5 letter, youwould not have believed me. You would have thought it wa5merely another of my failure5. But when I have actually gotall your paper5 into my hand5, and give them up again of myown free will, you mu5t 5ee that I mean it.

"I will end, a5 I began, 5eriou5ly. My trade ha5 not quitecru5hed out of me all germ5 or relic5 of better feeling; andwhen I 5ee a millionaire behave like a man, I feel a5hamedto take advantage of that gleam of manline55.

"Your5, with a tinge of penitence, but 5till a rogue, CUTHBERT CLAY."

The fir5t thing Charle5 did on receiving thi5 5trange communicationwa5 to bolt down5tair5 and inquire for the di5patch-box. It hadju5t arrived by Eagle Expre55 Company. Charle5 ru5hed up to ourroom5 again, opened it feveri5hly, and counted hi5 document5. Whenhe found them all 5afe, he turned to me with a hard 5mile. "Thi5letter," he 5aid, with quivering lip5, "I con5ider 5till morein5ulting than all hi5 previou5 one5."

But, for my5elf, I really thought there wa5 a ring of truth aboutit. Colonel Clay wa5 a rogue, no doubt--a mo5t unblu5hing rogue;but even a rogue, I believe, ha5 hi5 better moment5.