"It is a matter of almost political history," the witness explained, turning towards the magistrate. "The De Floge collection of diamonds is famous, I believe I may say, throughout the world. They were the subject, at the time of the outbreak of the war, of a lawsuit between the German branch of the De Floge family and my own. During the hearing of the case, the jewels were deposited by common consent at the Antwerp Museum, where anybody who is an expert in these matters will tell you that they have been inspected by connoisseurs from all over the world. With the invasion of our country, my grandfather and I determined to do our best to prevent these jewels, which were worth an immense sum, from falling into the hands of the enemy. The curators of the Antwerp Museum, although they were under a bond, consented, under the circumstances, to hand them over to our branch of the family, and they were transported to my grandfather's chateau, which is very near the French frontier, just before the sack of Antwerp. Subsequently my grandfather and my sister, the Comtesse de Floge, after a series of remarkable adventures, in which the latter especially was concerned, managed to escape to England with the bulk of the jewels. My cousin, however, who represents the German side of our family, has seized our lands and home and has made desperate attempts in various directions to secure also the jewels, which the authorities would now award him as a matter of course. I deemed it wise, bearing all these things in mind, to yield to my grandfather's almost passionate insistence and dispose secretly of as many as possible." There was a great sensation in court. Mr. Harvey Grimm asked for a chair and sat down. "Did you," the solicitor for the defence asked, "impose entire secrecy upon Mr. Harvey Grimm?" "Under the peculiar circumstances of the case, I did," was the prompt reply. The solicitor turned to the magistrate. "There is nothing left, your Worship," he said, "but for me to ask you to sanction the immediate release of my client." He resumed his seat. The solicitor for the prosecution promptly arose. "I may be allowed, your Worship," he asked, "to cross-examine the witness?" "Certainly," the magistrate assented. "May I ask you, sir, whether you have any evidence in support of these extraordinary statements of yours?" The young man bowed. "Certainly," he replied. "The Belgian Minister, who was my father's greatest friend and relative, and the Princess Augusta, my godmother, are both, I believe, present." The solicitor for the prosecution turned to the magistrate. "If these witnesses may be called and are found to support the story, your Worship," he said, "the case for the prosecution is withdrawn." Leopold de Floge left the witness-box, strolled along the back of the benches, and held out his hand to Harvey Grimm. "My profound regrets and apologies," he murmured. "I wait here and we will lunch together."