"My daughter, Mr. Morgan, Li Min, and myself."

"How did Li Min come to know of it?"

"He saw us examining it at dinner last night, while waiting on the
table."

The detective pondered. "Was the stone of such value that its recovery
would have been sought at so great a cost?" He glanced gravely at the
silent figure upon the floor.

"Intrinsically it was worth perhaps a hundred thousand pounds--as a
curio, or as an object of religious veneration among the Buddhist
priests and their followers, it was priceless." Major Temple spoke with
the fervor and enthusiasm of the collector.

Sergeant McQuade's eyes widened at this statement. "A hundred thousand
pounds!" he exclaimed. "And you intended to buy it from Mr. Ashton?"

The Major hesitated. "Yes," he stammered, "yes, I did."

"At what price?" came the question, cold and incisive.

"I--I--Mr. Ashton secured the jewel for me as my agent."

"But surely you were to give him some commission, some reward for his
trouble. What was that reward, Major Temple?"

"I had promised him the hand of my daughter in marriage."

"And was he satisfied with that settlement?" continued the detective,
ruthlessly.

"We had a slight disagreement. He--he wanted a cash payment in
addition."

"Which you refused?"

"The matter had not been settled."

"And how did your daughter regard the bargain?" asked McQuade, coldly.

Major Temple drew himself up stiffly. "I fail to see the purpose of
these questions," he said with some heat. "My daughter was ready to meet
my wishes, Sergeant McQuade. Mr. Ashton was a gentleman and was much
attached to her. They met in China."

The detective said no more, but ordered the door locked as we passed
out, and put the key in his pocket. I asked his permission to accompany
him in his explorations outside, to which he readily consented, and,
with a parting injunction to Major Temple to see that Li Min was not
allowed to leave the house, we passed out into the gardens by a rear
entrance.

The storm of the night before had completely passed away and the morning
was crisp and clear, with a suggestion of frost in the air. The wind,
which had not yet died down, had done much to dry up the rain, but the
gravel walks were still somewhat soft and muddy. The rain however had
stopped some time during the night, and as the tragedy had occurred
later, and not long before daybreak, there was every reason to believe
that traces of anyone approaching the house bene