"Pray do not evade the question," said Maxwell, in an annoyed tone; "I mean the dark gentleman whom you sent off to see about your portmanteau, and who accompanied you from town." "How do you know he accompanied me from town?" "I saw you both leave a first-class carriage together." "That proves nothing. Travelling in the same carriage does not prove that he accompanied me from town." "But he looked after your luggage at your request!" "Yes! he did so, certainly, but what does that prove?" "Simply this, that you know the gentleman." Mrs. Belswin would have liked to deny this, as she saw from the production of the diamond pin, and the mention of Ferrari, that Maxwell knew something; but she was so afraid, lest, failing her, he should ask Kaituna, and so possibly discover more than she wished, that she answered him frankly. "Yes, I do know the gentleman." "Ah! and you know his name?" "Yes! His name is--but why do you want to know?" "Because he wore this diamond pin on the day I saw him with you, and this diamond pin----" "Yes! yes!" cried Mrs. Belswin, breathlessly, clasping her hands. "--Was found on the terrace of Thornstream the morning after the murder." The woman sprang to her feet, with a cry. "Ferrari! impossible." "Is his name Ferrari?" "Yes! No! that is, Mr. Maxwell," she cried, seizing the young man by the lappet of his coat "What do you mean? what do you suspect?" "I mean that this diamond pin belongs to Ferrari, whom you have just named. I suspect that he murdered Sir Rupert Pethram." Mrs. Belswin uttered a cry of terror. "No! no! It cannot be." "Then let him prove his innocence." "Prove his innocence?" "Yes!" said Maxwell, with an air of determination. "I have made up my mind to bring the murderer of Sir Rupert Pethram to justice. Appearances are dead against this man, and I intend to put the matter in the hands of the police." "You will never find him." Maxwell bounded from his seat, and crossing rapidly to Mrs. Belswin, seized her wrist. "Tell me," he said, imperiously, "have you any reason for wishing this man to escape?" "I!" she murmured, evasively; "I wish him to escape?" "Yes! To all appearances he is your friend. He comes down with you to Deswarth. A jewel belonging to him is found at the window of a room. In that room a man is found dead. What does it all mean?" "Wait!" cried the woman, wrenching herself from his grasp. "Wait; I must think." Maxwell obeyed, and returned to his seat with a cloud on his brow, for the complicity of Mrs. Belswin in the affair now began to assume gigantic proportions.