art of
County Surrey as the smiling audience for the finale of our little
detective drama, as we stand up here sixty feet or more above the
ground! Now let's go down and acquaint His Honor the Earl with the
glad tidings before the wind blows all my hair off!"

He led the way back to the trapdoor, and down through it to the
stairs, with Lord Launcelot following after us like a whipped cur.

CHAPTER XVIII

When we got down to the library, which seemed to be the Earl's usual
hang-out, we found His Lordship sitting in a chair, with a book in his
lap, but with his somewhat gloomy eyes gazing on the floor, and old
Uncle Tooter, with his back turned to him, looking out of the window,
as if they had just had a quarrel,--which was the case.

"Two o'clock on Thursday afternoon in Easter week and all is well,
Your Lordship!" said Holmes triumphantly, with a smile over his mobile
face that spread from ear to ear as he advanced and politely tendered
the final diamond cuff-button to the Earl. "I have now the very great
pleasure of presenting you with the last remaining stolen heirloom of
the ancient House of Puddingham, thus recovering all the articles
stolen from you on Easter Sunday night and throughout Easter Monday,
which recovery is due to my herculean efforts, ably assisted from time
to time by my old side-kicker, Doctor Watson. The only thing now
remaining to be done is to seize Billie Budd when he comes up here in
disguise to-morrow morning, and ship him into London with a ball and
chain around his ankles."

The Earl arose and feelingly congratulated Holmes on the recovery of
the gems, shaking hands with him warmly, and added:

"You will pardon me for not seeming more enthused over the event than
I am, but Uncle Tooter and I have just had some words, the result of
which is that he will leave this castle Friday afternoon with his
bride-to-be, Teresa Olivano; and my six good pairs of diamond
cuff-buttons will be sent in by express to the Bank of England, there
to be placed in an iron-bound, steel-doored safety deposit vault,
where no Billie Budds can break in and hypothecate them!"

"Yes, that's right," said Tooter, facing around in Holmes's direction;
"and I can add that I am darned glad that I am not to be shadowed and
dogged around by such a long-legged piece of impudence as you any
longer. If a gentleman decides to play a trick on his nephew-in-law by
hiding a worthless bauble for a few days, it's none of _y