found him waiting for me in the drive; without a
word he led me to the picture-gallery, which was locked and darkened,
drew up a blind, and stood simply pointing to an empty picture-frame.
It was a long time before I could get a word out of him. Then at last
he told me that that frame had contained one of the rarest and most
valuable pictures in England--in the world--an original Velasquez. I
have checked this," said the lawyer, "and it seems literally true; the
picture was a portrait of the Infanta Maria Teresa, said to be one of
the artist's greatest works, second only to another portrait of one of
the Popes in Rome--so they told me at the National Gallery, where they
had its history by heart. They say there that the picture is
practically priceless. And young Debenham has sold it for five
thousand pounds!"

"The deuce he has," said Raffles.

I inquired who had bought it.

"A Queensland legislator of the name of Craggs--the Hon. John Montagu
Craggs, M.L.C., to give him his full title. Not that we knew anything
about him on Tuesday last; we didn't even know for certain that young
Debenham had stolen the picture. But he had gone down for money on the
Monday evening, had been refused, and it was plain enough that he had
helped himself in this way; he had threatened revenge, and this was it.
Indeed, when I hunted him up in town on the Tuesday night, he confessed
as much in the most brazen manner imaginable. But he wouldn't tell me
who was the purchaser, and finding out took the rest of the week; but I
did find out, and a nice time I've had of it ever since! Backwards and
forwards between Esher and the Metropole, where the Queenslander is
staying, sometimes twice a day; threats, offers, prayers, entreaties,
not one of them a bit of good!"

"But," said Raffles, "surely it's a clear case? The sale was illegal;
you can pay him back his money and force him to give the picture up."

"Exactly; but not without an action and a public scandal, and that my
client declines to face. He would rather lose even his picture than
have the whole thing get into the papers; he has disowned his son, but
he will not disgrace him; yet his picture he must have by hook or
crook, and there's the rub! I am to get it back by fair means or foul.
He gives me carte blanche in the matter, and, I verily believe, would
throw in a blank check if asked. He offered one to the Queenslander,
but Craggs simply tore it in two; the one old boy is