XIV. TRAPPED

I caught my breath sharply. I did not say anything. I felt that I did
not understand the inspector sufficiently yet to speak. He seemed to be
pleased with my reticence. At all events, his manner grew even kinder as
he said:

"This Sears is a witness we must have. He is being looked for now, high
and low, and we hope to get some clue to his whereabouts before night.
That is, if he is in this city. Meanwhile, we are all glad--I am sure
you are also--to spare so distinguished a gentleman as Mr. Grey the
slightest annoyance."

"And Mr. Durand? What of him in this interim?"

"He will have to await developments. I see no other way, my dear."

It was kindly said, but my head drooped. This waiting was what was
killing him and killing me. The inspector saw and gently patted my hand.

"Come," said he, "you have head enough to see that it is never wise
to force matters." Then, possibly with an intention of rousing me,
he remarked: "There is another small fact which may interest you. It
concerns the waiter, Wellgood, recommended, as you will remember, by
this Sears. In my talk with Jones it leaked out as a matter of small
moment, and so it was to him, that this Wellgood was the waiter who ran
and picked up the diamond after it fell from Mr. Grey's hand."

"Ah!"

"This may mean nothing--it meant nothing to Jones--but I inform you of
it because there is a question I want to put to you in this connection.
You smile."

"Did I?" I meekly answered. "I do not know why."

This was not true. I had been waiting to see why the inspector had so
honored me with all these disclosures, almost with his thoughts. Now I
saw. He desired something in return.

"You were on the scene at this very moment," he proceeded, after a
brief contemplation of my face, "and you must have seen this man when
he lifted the jewel and handed it back to Mr. Grey. Did you remark his
features?"

"No, sir; I was too far off; besides, my eyes were on Mr. Grey." "That
is a pity. I was in hopes you could satisfy me on a very important
point."

"What point is that, Inspector Dalzell?"

"Whether he answered the following description." And, taking up another
paper, he was about to read it aloud to me, when an interruption
occurred. A man showed himself at the door, whom the inspector no sooner
recognized than he seemed to forget me in his eagerness to interrogate
him. Perhaps the appearance of the latter had something to do with it;
he loo