The Chestermarke Instinct

rawn forward. And the Earl, whose eyes had been wandering over the pile of documents on the senior partner's desk, glancing curiously at the

g?" he asked suddenly

ed his already

ed-I am astonished! Your lordship left the Countess's jewels w

t two days after the ball, and sailing direct from Kingsport to Hamburg, I didn't want the bother of going up to town with them, and I thought of Horbury. So I drove in here with them one evening-the night before we sailed, as a matter o

rmarke spread

out them!" he said. "I neve

rmed Joseph.

, and drew Lord Ellersd

," he said. "Neale-have you

e. "Mr. Horbury never

d towards the open do

ked. "There is nothing of that sort there-beyond what I and my

ed the Earl. "Where is

briel "The truth may as well be told-he's missing

another. His face flushed, almost as hotly

come!-you don't mean to tell me that Horbury's been p

l tell us all about the deposit of these jewels. And-there's an important matter which I must first mention. We have not the honou

ead at that, and the Earl stirre

s true I don't keep any account with you-it's never seemed-er, necessary, you know. But, of cou

with a bow. "You came to Mr. Hor

s in which he could deposit valuables in perfect safety," answered the Earl. "I never reflected for a moment on the nic

cise nature?"

value?" a

f which I suppose all the world's heard-heirloom, you know. It's a thing that can be worn in a lady's hair or as a pendant-d

watching everything with close attention, saw that his fingers trembled a little. He

nowledgment that he had received these jewels on de

nd Neale fancied that he saw a shade of

a man whom I knew as well as I knew-or thought I knew-Horbury. The whole thing was just

hat you were giving

fact, he'd never seen these things, and I took

them up?-in our strong room

about where he'd put them. That was understood. It was understood-

your return?" persisted Joseph, with the

ld be back," replied the Earl. "The

ds the hearth, and leaning against the man

at sort in there. There are two safes in the outer room of the bank-I should say that Mr.

Neale. "I neve

ked up from

rong room without my knowledge. They are certainly not there. The safes my nephew mention

as more surprised than angry: he looked around him as a man looks whos

n his own dining-room one evening some weeks ago," he sai

also certain is that our manager-trusted in more than he should have be

more bent over his papers. Once more there was silence. Then

u think Horbury may have put tho

arke smiled a l

nds' worth!" he said so

ple have a safe in their houses nowadays-they're so handy

for some years. But as we are desirous of giving your lordship what assistance we can, we will go into

l as she received him and the t

. Horbury one evening a few weeks ago," h

member your lordship calling on Mr. Horbury very well. One

g-room-an old-fashioned apartment which looked ou

in, "has Mr. Horbury a safe in this room, o

n the house. There was a plate-chest-there it was, stan

el. "It's about as unlikely as anything c

but what Gabriel expected to find the

ng-in which Mr. Horbury kept valuables?" he asked. "Any place i

she believed all its drawers were open. Her belief proved to be correct: Gabriel himself opened drawer after draw

assist your lordship," he said. "I

een gradually growing graver. "What, for instance, are you going to do, Mr. Chestermarke?

d, if Horbury took charge of your lordship's property, he did so as a private individual, not on

atter," said Joseph. "But as we have nev

true position of the case is that your lordship handed your prope

o do?" said the Earl. "I mean, not about m

his nephew: Jose

at. We are not yet fully aware of how things stand. We

pse before doing something?" exclaimed the Earl. "Bless my soul!-I'

recisely what you would not have done. We don't want it noised all over the town and neighbourh

oice which made the Earl turn and look at him with a sudden new interest. Before eith

hing, sir?" he said,

ted Gabriel hastily.

as fond of taking his walks in lonely places-there are plenty

Earl. "Gad! I wonder we never thought of that before! M

was heard speaking to some one without, and in walked a handsome young woman, who pulled he