"Shut yer trap," snapped the detective. "I know what I'm doin'. This crook's clever all right, but I got the kibosh on him this time. Lemme alone." He squared his shoulders, blustering to save his face. "I don't know why yeh done it----" "Then I'll tell you," Maitland cut in crisply. "If you'll be good enough to listen." And concisely narrated the events of the past twenty-four hours, beginning at the moment when he had discovered Anisty in Maitland Manor. Save that he substituted himself for the man who had escaped from Higgins and eliminated all mention of the grey girl, his statement was exact and convincing. As he came down to the moment when he had called up from the Bartholdi and heard mysterious sounds in his flat, substantiating his story by indicating the receiver that dangled useless from the telephone, even Hickey was staggered. But not beaten. When Maitland ceased speaking the detective smiled superiority to such invention. "Very pretty," he conceded. "Yeh c'n tell it all to the magistrate to-morrow morning. Meantime yeh'll have time to think up a yarn explainin' how it come that a crook like Anisty made three attempts in one day to steal some jewels, 'nd didn't get 'em. Where were they all this time?" "In safe-keeping," Maitland lied manfully, with a furtive glance toward the alcove. "Whose?" pursued Mr. Hickey truculently. "Mine," with equanimity. "Seriously--_sleuth!_--are you trying to make a charge against me of stealing my own property?" "Yeh done it for a blind. 'Nd that's enough. Officer, take this man to the station; I'll make the complaint." The policeman hesitated, and at this juncture O'Hagan put in an appearance, lugging a heavy brown-paper bundle. "Beg pardon, Misther Maitland, sor----?" "Well, O'Hagan?" "The crowd at the dure, sor, is dishpersed," the janitor reported. "A couple av cops kem along an' fanned 'em. They're askin' fer the two av yees," with a careless nod to the policeman and detective. "Yeh heard what I said," Hickey answered the officer's look. "I'm thinkin'," O'Hagan pursued, calmly ignoring the presence of the outsiders, "thot these do be the soot that domned thafe av the worruld stole off ye the day, sor. A la-ad brought ut at ayeleven o'clock, sor, wid particular rayquist thot ut be daylivered to ye at once. The paper's tore, an'----" "O'Hagan," Maitland ordered sharply, "undo that parcel. I think I can satisfy you now, sleuth. What kind of a suit did your luncheon acquaintance wear?" "Grey," conceded Hickey reluctantly. "An' here ut is," O'Hagan announced, arraying the clothing upon a chair. "Iv'ry domn' thing, aven down to the socks.... And a note for ye, sor." As he shook out the folds of the coat a square white envelope dropped to the floor; the janitor retrieved and offered it to his employer. "Give it to the sleuth," nodded Maitland. Scowling, Hickey withdrew the inclosure--barely glancing at the superscription.