He remembered writing that also, and he remembered posting it at Sydney in an envelope addressed to Mrs.Smith.When Mr.Seely assured him that he himself had seen the post-office stamp of Sydney on the cover, Caldigate declared that it must have been passed through the post-office for fraudulent purposes after it had left his hands.

'Then,' said Mr.Seely, 'the fraud must have been meditated and prepared three years ago,--which is hardly probable.' As to the letter from the clergyman, Allan, of which Mr.Seely had procured a copy, Caldigate declared that it had certainly never been addressed to him.

He had never received any letter from Mr.Allan,--had never seen the man's handwriting.

He was quite sure that if he were in New South Wales he could get a dozen people to swear that there had never been such a marriage at Ahalala.

He did name many people, especially Dick Shand.