"The sum he demanded was due for debts of honour, which he had a slip of paper in Greville's own handwriting to prove." Mr.Hamilton made no further reply, and they parted with nothing decided on either side, Dupont only repeating his extreme distress at having caused Miss Greville so much unnecessary pain; that had he known she was engaged to another, he would never have persisted in his suit, and deeply regretted he had been so deceived.
Mr.Hamilton heard him with an unchanging countenance, and gravely and formally bowed him out of the house.

He then placed his seal on the lock of a small cabinet, which Mrs.Greville's one faithful English servant informed him contained all his master's private papers, dismissed the French domestics, and charging the Englishmen to be careful in their watch that no strangers should be admitted, he hastened to impart to his anxiously-expecting sons all the important business he had transacted.
Early the following morning Mr.Hamilton received intelligence which very much annoyed and startled him.

Notwithstanding the vigilant watch of the three Englishmen stationed at Mr.Greville's house, the cabinet, which contained all his private papers, was gone.

The men declared again and again, no one could have entered the house without their knowledge, or removed such a thing as that without some noise.

Mr.
Hamilton went instantly with them to the house; how it had been taken he could not discover, but it was so small that Mr.Hamilton felt it could easily have been removed; and he had no doubt that Dupont had bribed one of the dismissed servants, who was well acquainted with every secret of the house, to purloin it for him, and Dupont he instantly determined on charging with the atrocious theft.