‘No, Mr. Wincher. And I am sure that no one knows more about it than you do.’ ‘Lord save us, sir! what do you mean?’ ‘Let me hear your story, sir,’ answered Lucius, ‘and then I’ll tell you what I mean.’ ‘But for Heaven’s sake, Mr. Davoren, tell me you don’t suspect me of any hand in the robbery!’ cried the old man piteously—‘I, that have lived five-and-twenty years with Mr. Sivewright, and had the care of everything that belonged to him all that time!’ ‘A man may wait five-and-twenty years for a good opportunity,’ said Lucius coolly. ‘Don’t trouble yourself to be tragical, Mr. Wincher, but say what you have to say, and be quick about it. I tell you again that I am in no manner surprised to hear this house has been robbed. It was no doubt robbed last night, and perhaps many nights before. But I tell you frankly, that I intend to take measures to prevent this house being robbed again; even if those measures should include putting you and your good lady upon the outside of it.’ ‘Lord have mercy upon us!’ cried Jacob Wincher, wringing his hands. ‘You are a great deal too hard upon me, sir. You’ll be sorry for it when you find out how unjust you’ve been.’ ‘I promise to be sorry,’ answered Lucius, ‘when I _do_ make that discovery. Now, Mr. Wincher, be explicit, if you please.’ But Jacob Wincher declared that he was all of a tremble, and had to sit down upon an ancient choirstall, and wipe the perspiration from his forehead before he was able to proceed. Lucius waited patiently for the old man to recover his self-possession, but in no manner relaxed the severity of his countenance. In all this agitation, in this pretended desire to confide in him, he saw only a clever piece of acting. ‘Well, Mr. Wincher,’ he said, as the old servant mopped his forehead with a blue cotton handkerchief, ‘how about this robbery?’ ‘I’m coming to it, sir. But you’ve given me such a turn with what you said just now. God knows how cruel and how uncalled for those words of yours were.’ ‘Pray proceed, Mr. Wincher.’ ‘Well, sir, you must know there’s a deal of property about this place, perhaps a good deal more than you’ve ever seen, though our old master seemed to take to you from the first, and has been more confidential with you than he ever was with any one else. Now there’s a good deal of the property that isn’t portable, and there’s some that is—china, for instance; little bits of tea-cups and saucers that are worth more than you’d be willing to believe; and silver—’ ‘Silver!’ exclaimed Lucius, astonished.