So far Fletcher the butcher had been successful.
Some six weeks after this, inquiry began to be made as to a certain cheque for twenty pounds drawn by Lord Lufton on his bankers in London, which cheque had been lost early in the spring by Mr.Soames, Lord Lufton's man of business in Barsetshire, together with a pocket-book in which it had been folded.

This pocket-book Soames had believed himself to have left at Mr.Crawley's house, and had gone so far, even at the time of the loss, as to express his absolute conviction that he had so left it.

He was in the habit of paying a rentcharge to Mr.Crawley on behalf of Lord Lufton, amounting to twenty pounds four shillings, every half-year.

Lord Lufton held the large tithes of Hogglestock, and paid annually a sum of forty pounds eight shillings to the incumbent.

This amount was, as a rule, remitted punctually by Mr.Soames through the post.