"But yours would have been only a casual glance. A man is more likely to be interested in a woman's beauty than in the jewels she is wearing. Besides, you would not expect Lady Leconbridge to be wearing paste." "I should have known," he said. "You say Lady Leconbridge was not agitated by her loss?" "I said she was curiously calm," he answered. "She was hiding her true feelings, perhaps. At the moment the actress may have predominated. You know, of course, that Lady Leconbridge was an actress before her marriage?" "Helen Farrow--yes. Wasn't there some gossip about her at the time of her marriage?" "There was." "No truth in it, I suppose?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Evidently you think there was." "So much smoke must have had some fire behind it, I am afraid," said the banker. "You have hinted at the delicacy of this affair, so you must ask me no more questions in that direction." "Her past could hardly have any bearing on the loss of the diamonds," I said. "I should have thought it might have," said Hartmann, "but then I am not a detective." Quarles shifted his position a little. From the moment he had sat down he had been absorbed in the pattern of the carpet, apparently. "You might be right, I think," I said. "One thing is certain, an ordinary thief would have great difficulty in dealing with the stones." "I suppose so." "He could only pass them to some one who could afford to bide his time, receiving small payment for the risk he had run?" "True." "And it would be extremely awkward for the person in whose possession the stones were found. That is the detective's point of view." "Such a person might be able to prove that he was a legitimate possessor." "I was thinking of the Slade case," I answered. "Messrs. Bartrams, the pawnbrokers, you know, came very badly out of that. They looked uncommonly like receivers of property which they knew had been stolen." "Now I am out of my depth," said the banker, rising to bring the interview to an end. "Just one question," said Quarles, looking up suddenly. "Is the necklace in one of your safes in the bank here?" "Here! It is hardly a joking matter." "It is not a joke, but curiosity," said Quarles. "I thought you would keep the jewels at Messrs. Bartrams and not here at the bank. It is rather awkward for you, Mr. Hartmann." "What do you mean?" "I am wondering how you will explain your possession of Lady Leconbridge's stolen diamond necklace." Hartmann stretched out his hand to the bell on his table. "Ring if you want it to be known that Jacob Hartmann, the well-known and much respected banker, is also Bartrams, who have a very bad name, I can assure you." "So you are here to trick me?" said Hartmann, thrusting his hands into his pockets as though to prevent himself touching the bell.