"I suppose he had seen these young men go through their parts a dozen times. It didn't seem at all odd to us; it would be a long story to go into all the details, but we--we found it most fortunate that he could supply the sick man's place. I wish to say, Mr. Grimm, that I have no cause, personally, to complain of Huddesley. His conduct since he has been with me has been most exemplary, I have never observed anything suspicious----" The doctor came to a dead stand-still, for at that moment his discovery of the evening flashed into his mind with inconvenient abruptness. "You're a kind-hearted man, sir," said Grimm, with warmth, "to say what you can for the fellow, but I've got his record. It's queer he ain't back yet." He looked at his watch. "They keep it up pretty late, don't they? It's after three." He got up briskly. "I guess we'd better leave Clancy here, Judd, an' go on up to the house. Looks to me like that'd ought to be our next move. All ready?" He stood a moment frowning over some new thought. "This here party, Doc., I guess it was goin' to be pretty swell, wasn't it? I mean ladies all diked out with diamond earrings an' breast-pins, hey?" Doctor Vardaman, gripping the arms of his chair hard, stared at the detective transfixed. If the various revelations which had visited the old gentleman during the last moment had assumed the concrete, tangible form of so many successive clubbings, he could not have been more stunned. And in the ensuing short silence, Teddy's voice could be heard upstairs mournfully requesting more ice-water for God's sake. "Got himself good and tanked, didn't he?" said the detective, grinning. "Mr. Grimm," said the doctor, with difficulty, "I have reason to believe that my young friend has been drugged. I think Huddesley found something among some few medicines I keep--it was a preparation of chloroform--and put it in his wine. I happened to examine the bottle, and it had been filled up with water. And the young man's glass smelled perceptibly of the stuff--I was at a loss to account for it--why Huddesley should want to drug him, I mean, but I--I am beginning to understand. And--wait a minute!" he interposed as both of the others opened their mouths on a question. "In one of the plays which they were to perform, there is a question of some diamonds being stolen--the plot turns on that episode, in fact. Jewels were loaned for the young people to use--very costly ones. I am told Mrs. Pallinder's necklace alone is valued at----" "Told you so!" shouted Judd, starting to his feet. Grimm quieted him with a gesture. "Well?" he said. "Teddy's part--the part Huddesley contrived to get himself substituted in, was that of a butler who steals the diamonds----" "_Well_, WELL?" "Well, sir, he would have them on his person, in his possession, at his mercy, for the last two acts, the better part of an hour----"