"No, monsieur, I was not near enough to hear; but I could tell from the way the man looked up at madame--he was kneeling on one knee at the time--that his words were insolent." "What happened next?" "Madame lifted her riding whip and lashed him with it three or four times across the head and shoulders." Before anybody could stop him, Gumley started to his feet, and pointing to a livid whelt across his cheek, exclaimed in hoarse accents, "Ay, and here's the mark to bear witness to it--curse her!" Sir John turned on him with an admonitory frown. "Silence, man, or it will be worse for you!" Then Draycot whispered sternly to him, and he resumed his seat, sullenly enough. Sir John turned again to Lucille. "What followed?" "Madame turned and came back indoors, while he--the _polisson!_--sprang to his feet and shook his clenched hand, and called after her, 'You will live to be sorry for this day's work, my fine Madam, for I'll have my revenge if I swing for it!' The same evening he was discharged by madame's orders." Again Gumley started to his feet. "That's a lie!" he called out. "What I said was, 'If you was my wife, my fine madam, dash my limbs if I wouldn't break every bone in your body, though I had to swing for it!' "Shut up, you fool," said Draycot in a fierce whisper, as he pulled him down into his seat. "_Will_ you be quiet, fellow?" snarled Sir John. Then to Lucille: "You recognize the locket found in this man's possession as having been the property of Mrs. Drelincourt?" "_Oui, monsieur_." Addressing himself to Drelincourt, Sir John said: "The prisoner's statement is that he found the locket in question a few days ago in a summer house in which Mrs. Drelincourt was in the habit of sitting on fine afternoons, and that he pocketed it with the intention of subsequently disposing of it for his own benefit. In so far he admits his guilt, but he persists in asserting that he had no hand in the robbery, or in the commission of the far more serious crime with which we are more especially concerned at present." Once more he turned to Lucille. "As I am led to understand, you are not prepared to assert positively that you saw the locket in your mistress' jewel case yesterday or the day before?" "_Non, monsieur_. I do not remember." "Thank you, mademoiselle; I have nothing further to ask you at present." "_Merci, monsieur_." Having favored Sir John with an elaborate courtesy, she left the room. "There is still one point on which I am not clear," remarked Sir John. "What gave rise, in the first instance, to this man's arrest?" "The onus of that rests with me," replied Mr. Ormsby. "It was in answer to certain questions put by me and Draycot to Lucille that we were told of the threats this scoundrel had made use of towards my poor sister." Once more Gumley could not restrain himself. "Scoundrel, eh?" he said with a scowl. "I wish you had _this_ acrost your face instead o' me!"