had sense enough left in him to feel that he must hold his
tongue.

"All right," he said, very gravely. "I should like to say----"

"If you'll take my advice, you'll say nothing," broke in the Inspector,
in an official manner. "You must know as well as I do that everything
you say----"

"Quite so," said Derrick. "Where are you going to take me?"

"To the lock-up at Fleckfield," replied the Inspector, much relieved in
his mind now that he saw his prisoner was not going to offer any
resistance, give any trouble. "You're quite right to take it quietly. As
I said, we're surrounded by my men. What's this?"

"This" was Celia, coming through the wood and hastening her steps at the
sound of Derrick's voice. She stopped dead short, at sight of the two
men, looking from one to the other in surprise, but no alarm; then she
advanced to Derrick with, "Sydney!" on her lips.

"Why, it's you, Miss Grant!" said the Inspector. "I'm glad you've come
up--though this is no place for you." He paused and looked at her in a
puzzled way. "But you know this man, you called him 'Sydney'?"

"What does he mean?" asked Celia, in a bewildered fashion, of Derrick.
"Why does he speak like that?--Oh, what does it mean!"

"It means that the Inspector here is making a mistake, Celia," said
Derrick gravely, but without any resentment. "It appears that there has
been a robbery at the Hall----"

"You've heard nothing about it!" exclaimed Celia.

"No," said Derrick, quietly. "I left for London yesterday morning early;
I returned this morning, saw no one, heard nothing of it."

"Oh, come now, you'd better keep silent," interrupted the Inspector.
"Miss Grant, I met this gentleman"--he hesitated on the word--"with
this"--he tapped the box--"in his possession. I know, from the
description, that it is the missing jewel-case, and I have arrested him
on the charge of robbery and attempted murder. How you seem to know
him--I don't understand----"

Celia stood as if turned to stone for a moment or two; her eyes
wandering from the faces of the two men to the jewel-case; then she
broke out,

"Sydney, why don't you explain?--It's a mistake, Inspector, a terrible
mistake! I know this gentleman; I--I am engaged to him, I am going to be
his wife. It's--absurd to suspect him!--Sydney, where did you find the
thing?"

"Now, Miss Grant," said the Inspector soothingly, before Derrick could
reply. "Let me advise you, as I have already advised the prisoner, not