We followed him into a little room at the back of the shop. He was trembling all over. "No questions asked?" Mr. Bundercombe insisted. "Not the shadow of one!" the manager agreed. "I don't care if--pardon me, sir--if you stole them yourself! The loss of those jewels would do the firm more harm than I can explain to you." Mr. Bundercombe turned toward me and I produced the case. The manager seized it eagerly, opened it, turned on the electric light and closed the case again with a great sigh of relief. He held out his hand. "Mr. Bundercombe," he said, "I don't care how you got these. I have been robbed three times and put the matter into the hands of the police--and never recovered a single stone! I'd shake hands with the man who stole them so long as I got them back. How will you have the reward, sir?" "Notes, if you can manage it," Mr. Bundercombe replied. The manager went to his safe and counted over notes and gold to the amount of five hundred pounds, which Mr. Bundercombe buttoned up in his pockets. "I ask you now, sir," he said, "for your word of honor that you will not have us followed or make any further inquiries into this affair." "It is given--freely given!" the manager promised. "When you leave this establishment I shall turn my back to you. You may hand over the notes to whosoever you like upon the pavement outside and it won't concern me. Nor," he added, "shall I tell the police for at least half an hour that I have the necklace. They deserve a little extra trouble for letting the fellow get away." Mr. Bundercombe and I left the shop and ascended the stairs leading to the manicure parlor. Rodwell, who had bathed his face and made a complete change of toilet, was pacing up and down the little room. Blanche, too, was there, still pale and weeping. "Now," Mr. Bundercombe began, as he carefully closed the door behind him, "I told you a few minutes ago I was neither on your side nor on the side of the law. I am about to prove it. I have returned the jewels to Tarteran's, no questions to be asked, and I've got the reward. There you are, young lady!" he added, placing the roll of notes and a handful of gold in her hand. "You have given me a week or so of intense interest and amusement. There is your reward for it. If you want to divide it with your friend it's nothing to do with me. Take it and run along. So far as regards this little establishment the rent is paid for another three months; but, so far as regards my connection with it, I think I needn't explain--" "That you've been fooling me!" the girl interrupted, a faint smile at the corners of her lips. "Do you know, sometimes I suspected that you weren't in earnest! And then one day I saw your wife--and I wasn't sure!" "Good morning!" Mr. Bundercombe said severely. "Come along, Paul!" CHAPTER XV--LORD PORTHONING'S LESSON Mr. Bundercombe laid his hand compellingly on my arm. "Who's the wizened-up little insect, with a snarl on his face?" he inquired of me earnestly.