"Do I gather that the taxi-cab which I see outside there is being kept by you two young men?" he asked. "It is," answered Purdie. "It's important that we should lose no time in getting back to town, Mr. Killick." "Just so!" agreed Mr. Killick, moving towards his library door. "But I'm going with you--as soon as I've got myself into an overcoat. Now!" he added, a few minutes later, when all three went out to the cab. "Tell the man to drive us straight to that police-station you've been visiting of late--and till we get there, just let me think quietly--I can probably say more about this case than I'm yet aware of. But--if it will give you any relief, I can tell you this at once--I have a good deal to tell. Strange!--strange indeed how things come round, and what a small world this is, after all!" With this cryptic utterance Mr. Killick sank into a corner of the cab, where he remained, evidently lost in thought, until, nearly an hour later, they pulled up at the door of the police-station. Within five minutes they were closeted with the chief men there--amongst whom were Ayscough and the detective from New Scotland Yard. "You know me--or of me--some of you?" observed the old solicitor, as he laid a card on the desk by which he had been given a chair. "I was very well known in the City police-courts, you know, until I retired three years ago. Now, these young gentlemen have just told me all the facts of this very strange case, and I think I can throw some light on it--on part of it, anyway. First of all, let me see those two rings about which there has been so much enquiry." Ayscough produced the rings from a locked drawer; the rest of those present looked on curiously as they were examined and handled by Mr. Killick. It was immediately evident that he had no doubt about his recognition and identification of them--after a moment's inspection of each he pushed them back towards the detective. "Certainly!" he said with a confidence that carried conviction. "Those are the rings which I gave to Mrs. Lauriston, this young man's mother. I knew them at once. If it's necessary, I can show you the receipt which I got with them from the seller. The particulars are specified in that receipt--and I know that I still have it. Does my testimony satisfy you?" The chief official present glanced at the man from New Scotland Yard, and receiving a nod from him, smiled at the old solicitor. "I think we can rely on your evidence, Mr. Killick," he said. "We had to make certain, you know. But these marks--isn't that a curious coincidence, now, when you come to think of it?"