Hurd looked at Beecot who spoke. "Mr. Pash knows very well that Tray accuses him of the crime," he said. "I told him so, and he professed his readiness to explain to you." "Ah," said Hurd, "shut the door, Mr. Beecot. No need to let all London know the truth." "_I_ don't know it," said Pash, as Paul closed the door and returned to his seat. "Very good," rejoined the detective, calmly, "we'll assume for the sake of argument that you did not strangle Norman." "That I certainly did not." "Then you know who did. Come, sir," Hurd became stern; "this boy Tray says he gave the opal brooch to you. And I believe he did. You would not have taken him into your office--a boy off the streets, and with a bad character at that--unless you wanted to bribe him to hold his tongue." "I had no need to bribe," said Pash, gnawing his finger nails and rather cowed by this direct attack. "The boy _did_ show me the opal brooch, and I took it from him to return to Norman." "When did you receive it?" asked Hurd, pulling out his book. "Be careful, Mr. Pash, I'll take down what you say." "I have nothing to conceal," said Pash, in quite an unnecessarily injured manner. "I had employed the boy on several errands, and he knew I was Norman's lawyer. On the evening of the sixth of July--" "And the evening of the murder," said Hurd; "are you sure?" "I'll take my oath on it. The boy told me that Mr. Beecot had met with an accident and that a blue velvet case containing a brooch had fallen out of his pocket." "It was stolen," said Beecot, hastily. "Tray was not such a fool as to tell me that," replied the lawyer, dryly; "he said that he picked the case up out of the mud, and took it home to his garret. His grandmother, who is a notorious thief, wanted to get it, and pawn it for drink, but Tray ran away with it and came to me about five o'clock. He gave me the brooch and asked me to take charge of it, as he expected to get money for it from Aaron Norman who wanted it." "Tray overheard my conversation with Norman," said Paul, angrily, "and knew the brooch was mine--so did you, Mr. Pash." "Well," said the solicitor, coolly, "what of that? Norman was my client and wanted the brooch. I intended to keep it and then see you, so that a sale might be arranged. Norman spoke to me about the brooch several times and wanted it for reasons you may not know." "Oh, yes, we know," said Hurd, sardonically; "we know much more than you give us credit for, Mr. Pash. Well, you saw Norman about the jewel later that evening. I suppose you intend to tell us you gave him the brooch then." "I intend to tell nothing of the sort," retorted Pash, after a few moments' thought. "I see that things are coming to a crisis, and I would like to see Miss Norman reinstated in her rights." "Oh," said Paul, indignantly, "and you did your best to give the money to Maud Krill!"