"I can't believe it, Mr. Chestermarke!" exclaimed Neale. "Surely, sir, there's some mistake!" Joseph brushed crumbs of biscuit off his beard and wagged his head. "No mistake!" he said softly. "None! The thing is--what's best to do? Because--he'd have laid his plans. It'll all have been thought out--carefully." "I'm afraid so," assented Gabriel. "That's the worst of it. Everything points to premeditation. And when a man has been so fully trusted----" A knock at the door prefaced the introduction of Shirley's head. He glanced into the room with an obvious desire to see what was going on, but somehow contrived to fix his eyes on the senior partner. "Lord Ellersdeane, sir," he announced. "Can he see you?" The two partners looked at each other in evident surprise; then Gabriel moved to the door and bowed solemnly to some person outside. "Will your lordship come in?" he said politely. Lord Ellersdeane, a big, bustling, country-squire type of man, came into the room, nodding cheerily to its occupants. "Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Chestermarke," he said. "I understand Horbury isn't at home, but of course you'll do just as well. The Countess and I only got back from abroad night before last. She wants her jewels, so I'll take 'em with me, if you please." Gabriel Chestermarke, who was drawing forward a chair, took his hand off it and stared at his visitor. "The Countess's--jewels!" he said. "Does your lordship mean----" "Deposited them with Horbury, you know, some weeks ago--when we went abroad," replied Lord Ellersdeane. "Safe keeping, you know--said he'd lock 'em up." Gabriel turned slowly to Joseph. But Joseph shook his head--and Neale, glancing from one partner to the other, felt himself turning sick with apprehension. CHAPTER III MR. CHESTERMARKE DISCLAIMS LIABILITY Gabriel Chestermarke, after that one look at his nephew, turned again to the Earl, politely motioning him to the chair which he had already drawn forward. And the Earl, whose eyes had been wandering over the pile of documents on the senior partner's desk, glancing curiously at the open door of the strong room, and generally taking in a sense of some unusual occurrence, dropped into it and looked expectantly at the banker. "There's nothing wrong?" he asked suddenly. "You look--surprised." Gabriel stiffened his already upright figure. "Surprised--yes!" he answered. "And something more than surprised--I am astonished! Your lordship left the Countess's jewels with our manager? May I ask when--and under what circumstances?"