A short and swarthy fellow entered, who looked like a bandit.

"Well, what's _your_ name, anyhow? Where did you drop from, and what
do you know about this affair?" queried Holmes.

"Demetrius Xanthopoulos. I am the second gardener, and I used to work
in the King of Greece's gardens at Corfu. I think that La Violette,
the chef, is the man who stole the cuff-buttons. He's entirely too
supercilious, and kicks me out of the kitchen every time I try to get
in after a hand-out!"

"All right. If I were Louis I'd do the same. Beat it. Next!"

"Er, ah,----I beg pardon, Holmes, you have now examined all of the
servants. Fourteen of them, you know," said Thorneycroft.

"Oh, yes. That's right," said Holmes, as he consulted the list in his
hand; "but you people here will have to be examined too,--every one of
you. No excuses, now," he added, as the Earl started to object. "You
hired me to find those stolen cuff-buttons, and by thunder, I'm going
to find them, no matter who it hits! Thorneycroft, what do you know as
to the probable guilty party?"

The perspiration stood out on the secretary's bald head, and he
stammered greatly as he replied:

"Well, er,--ah, you know, that is----"

"Come, come! Don't keep me waiting all day. Speak up."

"Well, if you must know, I think that the Earl's Italian valet, Luigi
Vermicelli, is the man. He was the last man near the cuff-buttons when
the Earl retired Sunday night."

"Yes, that's what Galetchkoff said. I should think that you'd show
greater originality than that, Eustace. Lord Launcelot, I shall have
to question you as to your opinion on the robbery."

"Well, I think that Pete Van Damm took 'em,--my valet, you know.
Entirely too fresh, that fellow. Thinks he knows more than I do, bah
Jove!"

"Wouldn't be at all surprised if he did," muttered Holmes under his
breath, adding aloud: "Mr. Tooter, you are the Countess's uncle, I
believe. What do you know about the affair?"

"Mr. Holmes, I don't like to say it, because he's an awfully good
fellow, but between you and me, I think that Joe Harrigan, the butler,
swiped the diamonds," answered the elderly man from India. "He gets
pretty well soused sometimes, as I have observed, and you know that a
man in that condition is likely to do almost anything."

"Under the same principle, then, you may be guilty also, Uncle
Tooter," interposed the Earl, "because you know blamed well that I've
caught both you and Harrigan down in the wine-ce