e rule with pleasure."

"When I had made out as much as this," continued Ralph, "father told me
to call both of you and Charles, to consider what ought to be done
before we make any move."

"Have you an inventory of the jewels?" asked Marston at length.

"None," said Sir George, "unless Middleton had one from Sir John."

I thereupon recapitulated in full all the circumstances of the bequest,
finally adding that Sir John had never so much as mentioned an
inventory.

"So much the better for the thief," said Marston, his chin in his hands.
"It is not a case for a detective," he added.

"I think not," said Charles.

A kind of hoarse ghostly laugh came from the bed. "Charles is always
right," whispered the sick man. "Quite unnecessary, I am sure."

"Oh, I don't know," I said, feeling I had not yet been of as much
assistance as I could have wished. "Now, I think detectives are of
use--really useful, you know, in finding out things. There was a
detective, I remember, trying to trace the people who murdered that poor
lady at Jane's old house since my return."

"But who could it have been? who could it have been?" burst out Ralph,
unheeding. "They were all friends. It is frightful to suspect one of
them. One could as easily suspect one's self. Which of them all could
have done a thing like that? Out of them all, which was it?"

"Carr!" replied Charles, quietly, looking full at his father.

If a bomb-shell had fallen among us at that moment it could not have
produced a greater effect than that one word, uttered so deliberately.
Sir George started in his bed, and clutched at the bedclothes with both
hands. My brain positively reeled. Carr! my friend Carr! introduced into
the family by myself, was being accused by Charles. I was speechless
with indignation.

"I am sorry, Middleton," continued Charles; "I know he is your friend,
but I can't help that. Carr took the jewels. I distrusted him from the
moment he set foot in the house."

"Where is he at this instant?" said Marston, getting up. "Is no one with
him?"

"There is no need to be anxious on his account," replied Charles. "I
took him up to the smoking-room before I came here, and I turned the key
in the door. The key is here." And he laid it on the table.

Marston sat down again.

"What are your grounds for suspecting Carr?" he asked. "Remember, this
is a very serious thing, Charles, that you have done in locking him up,
if you have not adequate reason for it