and Bryce reached out a
hand and took him by the shoulder.

"I say, Bewery!" he said. "Going to tell all that?"

Harker got in a word before Dick could answer.

"No matter if he does, doctor," he remarked quietly. "Whatever it is,
the whole town'll know of it by tomorrow. They'll not keep it back."

Bryce let Dick go, and the boy immediately darted off in the direction
of the close, while the two men went towards Harker's house. Neither
spoke until they were safe in the old detective's little parlour, then
Harker, turning up his lamp, looked at Bryce and shook his head.

"It's a good job I've retired!" he said, almost sadly. "I'm getting too
old for my trade, doctor. Once upon a time I should have been fit to
kick myself for not having twigged the meaning of this business sooner
than I have done!"

"Have you twigged it?" demanded Bryce, almost scornfully. "You're a
good deal cleverer than I am if you have. For hang me if I know what it
means!"

"I do!" answered Harker. He opened a drawer in his desk and drew out
a scrap-book, filled, as Bryce saw a moment later, with cuttings from
newspapers, all duly arranged and indexed. The old man glanced at the
index, turned to a certain page, and put his finger on an entry. "There
you are!" he said. "And that's only one--there are several more. They'll
tell you in detail what I can tell you in a few words and what I ought
to have remembered. It's fifteen years since the famous robbery at
Saxonsteade which has never been accounted for--robbery of the Duchess's
diamonds--one of the cleverest burglaries ever known, doctor. They were
got one night after a grand ball there; no arrest was ever made, they
were never traced. And I'll lay all I'm worth to a penny-piece that the
Duke and those men are gladding their eyes with the sight of them just
now!--in Mitchington's office--and that the information that they were
where they've just been found was given to the Duke by--Glassdale!"

"Glassdale! That man!" exclaimed Bryce, who was puzzling his brain over
possible developments.

"That man, sir!" repeated Harker. "That's why Glassdale was in
Wrychester the day of Braden's death. And that's why Braden, or Brake,
came to Wrychester at all. He and Glassdale, of course, had somehow
come into possession of the secret, and no doubt meant to tell the Duke
together, and get the reward--there was 95,000 offered! And as Brake's
dead, Glassdale's spoken, but"--here the old man paused and gav