"You acknowledge that he gave it to you, then?" "Of course! Why shouldn't I?" "Because I found it on the terrace, Samson," cried his mother, madly. "Well, what of that; I lost it there, mother!" "When did you lose it?" asked Maxwell, quickly. Belk thought a moment, and then started as the full meaning of this interrogation flashed across his dull brain. "Eh! then you chaps say I killed Sir Rupert." "We do not say so," said Maxwell, emphatically; "we only say that this diamond scarf-pin, which you acknowledge to have had in your possession, was found near the window where the body was lying." "And that pin hangs me, sir?" "Not if you can account satisfactorily for its being there." "You ain't got the police, sir." "No!" "Samson! Samson!" wailed his mother, clinging to him, "say it was not you killed the master!" "Quiet, mother!" said her son, replacing her in the chair, "I can tell my own story." "You are innocent?" asked Mrs. Belswin, impulsively. "Innocent!" repeated Belk, with scorn, "if I wasn't I'd have been off to the States by this time. Sit down, gentlemen: sit down, madam, I can tell you the truth." All resumed their seats mechanically; but Belk leaned his mighty frame against the wall and looked at them quietly. From Ferrari his eyes wandered to Maxwell, and finally rested on Mrs. Belswin with a curious expression, at which she turned pale. "My God!" she murmured, clasping her hands tightly, "what is he going to say?" Belk guessed her thoughts, and reassured her at once. "My story's only about myself," he said, abruptly looking at her again, upon which she thanked him with a silent look of gratitude, although she felt a thrill of fear at the thought that perhaps he knew her secret. "One word before you speak," said Maxwell, quietly. "As you know, I am going to marry Miss Pethram, and I promised her to find out the assassin of her father. Chance, in the person of your mother, placed in my hands a clue which led me to believe that Signor Ferrari had something to do with the crime----" "Cospetto! what honour." "Signor Ferrari, however," resumed Archie, quietly, "has proved his innocence, and in order to do so has unintentionally made out a very strong case against you, Mr. Belk. Whether you are guilty or not I do not know; but, you see, I have not informed the police about anything connected with the matter." "And why, sir?" "Because the clue was placed in my hands by your mother, and I would not have it on my conscience, however guilty you may be, to take advantage of the innocent betrayal of a son by his mother." Mrs. Belk sobbed violently at this, and Belk, with a sudden flush, held out his hand, but drew it back at once. "No, sir," he said, bluffly, "I won't give you my hand yet, till you've heard my story. I did get that diamond from the foreign gent as he says. He was trespassing, and I could have made things hot for him, but to get off he gave me the diamond."