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stolen； and you will leave him to make the best he can of the
matter now in your hands。 He is to have the whole responsibility
of the case； and the whole credit of his success if he brings it
to a proper issue。
So much for the orders that I am desired to communicate to you。
A word in your ear； next； about this new man who is to take your
place。 His name is Matthew Sharpin； and he is to have the chance
given him of dashing into our office at one jumpsupposing he
turns out strong enough to take it。 You will naturally ask me how
he comes by this privilege。 I can only tell you that he has some
uncommonly strong interest to back him in certain high quarters；
which you and I had better not mention except under our breaths。
He has been a lawyer's clerk； and he is wonderfully conceited in
his opinion of himself； as well as mean and underhand； to look
at。 According to his own account； he leaves his old trade and
joins ours of his own free will and preference。 You will no more
believe that than I do。 My notion is； that he has managed to
ferret out some private information in connection with the
affairs of one of his master's clients； which makes him rather an
awkward customer to keep in the office for the future； and which；
at the same time； gives him hold enough over his employer to make
it dangerous to drive him into a corner by turning him away。 I
think the giving him this unheard…of chance among us is； in plain
words； pretty much like giving him hush money to keep him quiet。
However that may be； Mr。 Matthew Sharpin is to have the case now
in your hands； and if he succeeds with it he pokes his ugly nose
into our office as sure as fate。 I put you up to this； sergeant；
so that you may not stand in your own light by giving the new man
any cause to complain of you at headquarters； and remain yours；
FRANCIS THEAKSTONE。
FROM MR。 MATTHEW SHARPIN TO CHIEF INSPECTOR THEAKSTONE。
London； 5th July； 18。
DEAR SIRHaving now been favored with the necessary instructions
from Sergeant Bulmer； I beg to remind you of certain directions
which I have received relating to the report of my future
proceedings which I am to prepare for examination at
headquarters。
The object of my writing； and of your examining what I have
written before you send it to the higher authorities； is； I am
informed； to give me； as an untried hand； the benefit of your
advice in case I want it （which I venture to think I shall not）
at any stage of my proceedings。 As the extraordinary
circumstances of the case on which I am now engaged make it
impossible for me to absent myself from the place where the
robbery was committed until I have made some progress toward
discovering the thief； I am necessarily precluded from consulting
you personally。 Hence the necessity of my writing down the
various details； which might perhaps be better communicated by
word of mouth。 This； if I am not mistaken； is the position in
which we are now placed。 I state my own impressions on the
subject in writing； in order that we may clearly understand each
other at the outset； and have the honor to remain your obedient
servant；
MATTHEW SHARPIN。
FROM CHIEF INSPECTOR THEAKSTONE TO MR。 MATTHEW SHARPIN。
London； 5th July； 18。
SIRYou have begun by wasting time； ink； and paper。 We both of
us perfectly well knew the position we stood in toward each other
when I sent you with my letter to Sergeant Bulmer。 There was not
the least need to repeat it in writing。 Be so good as to employ
your pen in future on the business actually in hand。
You have now three separate matters on which to write me。 First；
you have to draw up a statement of your instructions received
from Sergeant Bulmer； in order to show us that nothing has
escaped your memory； and that you are thoroughly acquainted with
all the circumstances of the case which has been intrusted to
you。 Secondly； you are to inform me what it is you propose to do。
Thirdly； you are to report every inch of your progress （if you
make any） from day to day； and； if need be； from hour to hour as
well。 This is _your_ duty。 As to what _my_ duty may be； when I
want you to remind me of it； I will write and tell you so。 In the
meantime； I remain yours；
FRANCIS THEAKSTONE。
FROM MR。 MATTHEW SHARPIN TO CHIEF INSPECTOR THEAKSTONE。
London； 6th July； 18。
SIRYou are rather an elderly person； and as such； naturally
inclined to be a little jealous of men like me； who are in the
prime of their lives and their faculties。 Under these
circumstances； it is my duty to be considerate
toward you； and not to bear too hardly on your small failings。 I
decline； therefore； altogether to take offense at the tone of
your letter； I give you the full benefit of the natural
generosity of my nature； I sponge the very existence of your
surly communication out of my memoryin short； Chief Inspector
Theakstone； I forgive you； and proceed to business。
My first duty is to draw up a full statement of the instructions
I have received from Sergeant Bulmer。 Here they are at your
service； according to my version of them。
At Number Thirteen Rutherford Street； Soho； there is a
stationer's shop。 It is kept by one Mr。 Yatman。 He is a married
man； but has no family。 Besides Mr。 and Mrs。 Yatman； the other
inmates in the house are a lodger； a young single man named Jay；
who occupies the front room on the second floora shopman； who
sleeps in one of the attics； and a servant…of…all…work； whose bed
is in the back kitchen。 Once a week a charwoman comes to help
this servant。 These are all the persons who； on ordinary
occasions； have means of access to the interior of the house；
placed； as a matter of course； at their disposal。 Mr。 Yatman has
been in business for many years； carrying on his affairs
prosperously enough to realize a handsome independence for a
person in his position。 Unfortunately for himself； he endeavored
to increase the amount of his property by speculating。 He
ventured boldly in his investments； luck went against him； and
rather less than two years ago he found himself a poor man again。
All that was saved out of the wreck of his property was the sum
of two hundred pounds。
Although Mr。 Yatman did his best to meet his altered
circumstances； by giving up many of the luxuries and comforts to
which he and his wife had been accustomed； he found it impossible
to retrench so far as to allow of putting by any money from the
income produced by his shop。 The business has been declining of
late years； the cheap advertising stationers having done it
injury with the public。 Consequently； up to the last week； the
only surplus property possessed by Mr。 Yatman consisted of the
two hundred pounds which had been recovered from the wreck of his
fortune。 This sum was placed as a deposit in a joint…stock bank
of the highest possible character。
Eight days ago Mr。 Yatman and his lodger； Mr。 Jay； held a
conversation on the subject of the commercial difficulties which
are hampering trade in all directions at the present time。 Mr。
Jay （who lives by supplying the newspapers with short paragraphs
relating to accidents； offenses； and brief records of remarkable
occurrences in generalwho is