He opened a safe and produced a diamond ring at which Viner stared with feelings for which he could scarcely account. "How do you know that's one of Mr. Ashton's rings?" he asked. "Oh, I soon solved that!" laughed Drillford. "I hurried round to Markendale Square with it at once. Both the ladies recognized it--Mr. Ashton had often shown it to them, and told them its value, and there's a private mark of his inside it. And so we arrested him, and there he is! Clear case!" "What did he say?" asked Viner. "He's a curious customer," replied Drillford. "I should say that whatever he is now, he has been a gentleman. He was extremely nervous and so on while we were questioning him about the ring, but when it came to the crucial point, and I charged him and warned him, he turned strangely cool. I'll tell you what he said, in his exact words. 'I'm absolutely innocent of that!' he said. 'But I can see that I've placed myself in a very strange position.' And after that he would say no more--he hasn't even asked to see a solicitor." "What will be done next?" asked Viner. "He'll be brought before the magistrate in an hour or two," said Drillford. "Formal proceedings--for a remand, you know. I shall want you there, Mr. Viner; it won't take long. I wish the fellow would tell us who he is." "And I wish I could remember where and when I have seen him before!" exclaimed Viner. "Ah, that's still your impression?" remarked Drillford. "You're still convinced of it?" "More than ever--since seeing him just now," affirmed Viner. "I know his face, but that's all I can say. I suppose," he continued, looking diffidently at the inspector, as if he half-expected to be laughed at for the suggestion he was about to make, "I suppose you don't believe that this unfortunate fellow may have some explanation of his possession of Mr. Ashton's ring?" Drillford, who had been replacing the ring in a safe, locked the door upon it with a snap, and turned on his questioner with a look which became more and more businesslike and official with each succeeding word. "Now, Mr. Viner," he said, "you look at it from our point of view. An elderly gentleman is murdered and robbed. A certain man is seen--by you, as it happens--running away as fast as he can from the scene of the murder. Next morning that very man is found trying to get rid of a ring which, without doubt, was taken from the murdered man's finger. What do you think? Or--another question--what could we, police officials, do?" "Nothing but what you're doing, I suppose," said Viner. "Still--there may be a good deal that's--what shall I say?--behind all this." "It's for him to speak," observed Drillford, nodding in the direction of the cells. "He's got a bell within reach of his fingers; he's only got to ring it and to ask for me or any solicitor he likes to name. But--we shall see!"