"Then, who did?" asked Naball pertinaciously. "I sha'n't tell you," growled Villiers. "Oh, yes, you will," said the detective, "because if you know who stole the diamonds, you know the murderer of Lazarus." "No, I don't," retorted Villiers savagely. "I tell you I saw her round about the place on that night, and I picked up the knife I gave you; that's all I know." "Humph! we'll see about that." "You are sure that the person who stole the diamonds committed the crime?" asked Caprice, with a strange smile on her pale lips. "Well, I'm pretty sure; it looks uncommon like it." "And you think I stole the diamonds?" "Yes," retorted Naball bluntly; "I believe you did." "In that case, by your own reasoning, I'm a murderess," said Caprice. "I don't say that," said the detective; "but I believe you know who did it," looking significantly at Villiers. "I'm afraid your reasonings and your assertions are at variance," said Kitty quietly. "I don't know who committed the murder, but I do know who stole my diamonds." "Who?" asked Ezra, in an excited tone. "Keith Stewart!" "Keith Stewart!" echoed all; "impossible!" Eugénie stepped forward with a frown on her pale face, and looked at Kitty. "I don't believe it," she said, "and you are a wicked woman to say so." "Unfortunately, it's true," replied Caprice, with a sigh. "I have kept the secret as long as I could, but now it's impossible to do so any longer. Keith Stewart was at my place on the night of the robbery, and heard me say where my diamonds were. He was coming to the drawing-room, and saw my child descending the stairs, having got out of bed. He picked her up, and put her in bed again. The temptation was too strong to resist, I suppose, and he opened the drawer of the mirror, and took the jewels. He then got out of the window, and came round by the front of the house so as to enter by the front-door. Meg was awake all the time, and told it to me in her childish way, how he had gone to the window and got out of it. I told her not to speak of it, and kept silence." "Why did you keep silence?" asked Naball. "Why," cried Kitty, her face flushing with anger, "because he saved my child from death. He might have stolen anything of mine, but I would have kept silent, nor would I have betrayed him now but that you accuse me of murder." There was a dead silence in the room, as every one was touched by the way in which Kitty spoke. Then Villiers gave a coarse laugh. "Ha! ha!" he said harshly; "you said, Naball, that the person who stole the diamonds committed the murder also, so you've got the right man in gaol." Naball cast a look of commiseration at Eugénie, and said nothing. "Wait a moment," cried Ezra, stepping forward, "we've got to find the stolen bank-notes first. I don't believe Keith Stewart committed such a base crime; he is no murderer." "No," cried Eugénie, springing to her feet; "nor is he a thief. I will prove his innocence."