ady bowed slightly, and said in a plaintive drawl: "I, uncle? Really,
I don't remember anything; nothing at all."

"You found Mrs. Armitage's door locked, I believe," asked Hewitt, "when
you tried it, on the afternoon when she lost her brooch?"

"Oh, yes; I believe it was locked. Yes, it was."

"Had the key been left in?"

"The key? Oh, no! I think not; no."

"Do you remember anything out of the common happening--anything whatever,
no matter how trivial--on the day Mrs. Heath lost her bracelet?"

"No, really, I don't. I can't remember at all."

"Nor yesterday?"

"No, nothing. I don't remember anything."

"Thank you," said Hewitt, hastily; "thank you. Now the morning-room, Sir
James."

In the morning-room Hewitt stayed but a few seconds, doing little more
than casually glance out of the windows. In the room above he took a
little longer time. It was a comfortable room, but with rather effeminate
indications about its contents. Little pieces of draped silk-work hung
about the furniture, and Japanese silk fans decorated the mantel-piece.
Near the window was a cage containing a gray parrot, and the writing-table
was decorated with two vases of flowers.

"Lloyd makes himself pretty comfortable, eh?" Sir James observed. "But it
isn't likely anybody would be here while he was out, at the time that
bracelet went."

"No," replied Hewitt, meditatively. "No, I suppose not."

He stared thoughtfully out of the window, and then, still deep in thought,
rattled at the wires of the cage with a quill toothpick and played a
moment with the parrot. Then, looking up at the window again, he said:
"That is Mr. Lloyd, isn't it, coming back in a fly?"

"Yes, I think so. Is there anything else you would care to see here?"

"No, thank you," Hewitt replied; "I don't think there is."

They went down to the smoking-room, and Sir James went away to speak to
his secretary. When he returned, Hewitt said quietly: "I think, Sir
James--I _think_ that I shall be able to give you your thief presently."

"What! Have you a clue? Who do you think? I began to believe you were
hopelessly stumped."

"Well, yes. I have rather a good clue, although I can't tell you much
about it just yet. But it is so good a clue that I should like to know now
whether you are determined to prosecute when you have the criminal?"

"Why, bless me, of course," Sir James replied, with surprise. "It doesn't
rest with me, you know--the property belongs to my friends.