emarked, leading the way
into his room.

"Bit of an explosion, that's all," Quest replied. "I shall be all right
when you've lent me a clothes-brush."

"The Ashleigh diamonds, eh?" the Inspector asked eagerly.

"I shall have them at nine o'clock this morning," Sanford Quest promised,
"and hand you over the murderer somewhere around midnight."

The Inspector scratched his chin.

"From what I can hear about the young lady's friends," he said, "it's the
murderer they are most anxious to see nabbed."

"They'll have him," Quest promised. "Come round about half-past nine and
I'll hand over the diamonds to start with."

Quest slept for a couple of hours, had a bath and made a leisurely toilet.
At a quarter to nine he sat down to breakfast in his rooms.

"At nine o'clock," he told his servant, "a young lady will call. Bring her
up."

The door was suddenly opened. Lenora walked in. Quest glanced in surprise
at the clock.

"My fault!" he exclaimed. "We are slow. Good morning, Miss Lenora!"

She came straight to the table. The servant, at a sign from Quest,
disappeared. There were black rims around her eyes; she seemed exhausted.
She laid a little packet upon the table. Quest opened it coolly. The
Ashleigh diamonds flashed up at him. He led Lenora to a chair and rang the
bell.

"Prepare a bedroom upstairs," he ordered. "Ask Miss Roche to come here.
Laura," he added, as his secretary entered, "will you look after this
young lady? She is in a state of nervous exhaustion."

The girl nodded. She understood. She led Lenora from the room. Quest
resumed his breakfast. A few minutes later, Inspector French was
announced. Quest nodded in friendly manner.

"Some coffee, Inspector?"

"I'd rather have those diamonds!" the Inspector replied.

Quest threw them lightly across the table.

"Catch hold, then."

The Inspector whistled.

"Say, that's bright work," he acknowledged. "I believe I could have laid
my hands on the man, but it was the jewels that I was afraid of losing."

"Just so," Quest remarked. "And now, French, will you be here, please, at
midnight with three men, armed."

"Here?" the Inspector repeated.

Quest nodded.

"Our friend," he said, "is going to be mad enough to walk into hell, even,
when he finds out what he thinks has happened."

"It wasn't any of Jimmy's lot?" the Inspector asked.

Sanford Quest shook his head.

"French," he said, "keep mum, but it was the elderly family retainer,
Macdoug