“It's going to be a pretty problem, evidently,” Sir Clinton continued in a more thoughtful tone. “Now, what about the evidence? We'd better pool it while it's fresh in our minds. Civilians first. What did you see in it all, squire?” Wendover decided to be concise. “No signs of entry into the house. Bag of silver odds and ends in drawing-room, as if ready for removal. Set of volumes of diary removed from nephew's study. Strange story of missing nephew turning up. That's all I can think of just now.” “Masterly survey, squire,” said Sir Clinton cordially. “Except that you've left out most of the points of importance.” He nodded to Armadale. “See anything else, inspector? The credit of the force is at stake, remember.” “Mr. Fordingbridge didn't seem overmuch cut up by Peter Hay's death, sir.” “There's something in that. Either he's a reserved person by nature, or else he'd something of more importance to himself on his mind, if one can judge from what we saw. Anything more?” “Mr. Fordingbridge and Miss Fordingbridge seemed a bit at cross-purposes over this nephew.” “That was more than obvious, I admit. Anything else?” “Whoever packed up that silver must have come in with a key.” “I think that goes down to Mr. Wendover's score, inspector. It follows directly from the fact that the house wasn't broken into in any way.” “The silver here and the silver at Peter Hay's link up the two affairs.” “Probably correct. Anything further?” “No more evidence, sir.” Sir Clinton reflected for a moment. “I'll give you something. I was watching Mr. Fordingbridge's face when the loss of the diary was discovered. He was more than usually annoyed when that turned up. You weren't looking at him just then, so I mention it.” “Thanks,” Armadale responded, with some interest showing in his voice. “That missing diary would be a useful weapon,” Sir Clinton continued. “You could check statements by it; or you could produce false statements from it, if you were a swindling claimant.” “That's self-evident,” Wendover interjected. “So it is,” Sir Clinton admitted blandly. “I suppose that's why you didn't mention it yourself, squire. To continue. There's one point which strikes me as interesting. Supposing that Miss Fordingbridge hadn't come up here to-day, do you think we'd have discovered that the diary was missing at all?” “No, unless Mr. Fordingbridge had noticed the loss.” “Naturally. Now I'll give you a plain hint. What is there behind Mr. Fordingbridge's evident annoyance? That seems to me a fruitful line for speculation, if you're thinking of thinking, as it were.” Wendover reflected for a moment. “You mean that the diary would be invaluable to a claimant, and hence Fordingbridge may have been angry at its loss. Or else you mean that Fordingbridge was mad because the loss had been discovered. Is that what you're after, Clinton?” Sir Clinton's gesture in reply seemed to deprecate any haste.