“That was me,” said Captain Cosdon. “She was such a jolly long time with the second scream I went up to see if anything was wrong----” “Yes. The criminal will do too much,” Reggie sighed. “Then Faulks came. He tumbled into us and hit out, silly ass. I heard Sally go down and I let him have it. Confound him.” Sally smiled at him affectionately. “Oh yes, it’s devilish funny, isn’t it?” cried Tom Beach. “Good God, Cosdon, you’re not fit to be at large. A nice thing you’ve let me in for.” “Well, you’ve all been very ingenious,” said Reggie. “Thanks for a very jolly evening. May I have some breakfast?” There was a silence which could be felt. “Mr. Fortune,” said Sally, “that awful brooch is gone.” “Yes, that’s where we slipped up,” said Cosdon. “Sally must have dropped it when that fool knocked her out. I went out last night to hunt for it and it wasn’t there.” “Really?” Reggie’s tone was sardonic and Cosdon flushed at it. “What do you mean?” “Well, somebody found it, I suppose. That’s the working hypothesis.” He reduced them to the dismal condition in which he found them. “There you are!” Colonel Beach cried. “Some one of the servants saw the beastly thing and thought there was a chance to steal it. It’s a ghastly business. I’ll have to go through them for it and catch some poor devil who would have gone straight enough if you hadn’t played the fool. It’s not fair, confound it.” There was a tap at the door. Mrs. Faulks was asking if the Colonel would speak to her. The Colonel groaned and went out. “Do you mind if I have some breakfast, Mrs. Beach?” said Reggie plaintively. They seemed to think him heartless but offered no impediment. A dejected company slunk downstairs. It occurred to Reggie, always a just man, that Sam also might be hungry and he ran out to take him off guard. When he came back to the breakfast-room, he found that Faulks had joined the party. It was clear that no one had dared to tell him the truth. They were gazing in fascinated horror at the many colours which swelled about his right eye, and his scowl was terrible. “Hallo, Faulks! Stout fellow,” said Reggie, brightly. “How’s the head?” Mr. Faulks turned the scowl on him. Mr. Faulks found his head very painful. He had had practically no sleep. He feared some serious injury to the nerves. He must see a doctor. And his tone implied that as a doctor and a man Reggie was contemptible. Reggie served himself generously with bacon and mushrooms and began to eat. No one else was eating but Mr. Faulks. He, in a domineering manner, smote boiled eggs. The others played with food like passengers in a rolling ship. The door was opened. The austere shape of Mrs. Faulks stalked in and behind her Tom Beach slunk to his place. Mrs. Faulks’s compressed face wore a look of triumph. Sally half rose from her chair. “Oh, Mrs. Faulks,” she cried, “have you found your rubies?” “Really!” said Mrs. Faulks with a freezing smile. “No, Miss Winslow, I have not found my rubies.”