nson had, supposed to be the property of some swell he
called Prince Rupert. Why, Van Sneck copied it for him in a couple of
days, till you couldn't tell t'other from which."

Chris choked the cry that rose to her lips. She glanced at Littimer, who
had dropped his glass, and was regarding Merritt with a kind of frozen,
pallid curiosity. Chris signalled Littimer to speak. She had no words of
her own for the present.

"How long ago was that?" Littimer asked, hoarsely.

"About seven years, speaking from memory. There were two copies made--one
from description. The other was much more faithful. Perhaps there were
three copies, but I forget now. Van Sneck raved over the ring; it might
have been a mine of gold for the fuss he made over it."

Littimer asked no further questions. But from the glance he gave first to
Chris and then to his son the girl could see that he was satisfied. He
knew at last that he had done his son a grave injustice--he knew the
truth. It seemed to Chris that years had slipped suddenly from his
shoulders. His face was still grave and set; his eyes were hard; but the
gleam in them was for the man who had done him this terrible injury.

"I fancy we are wandering from the subject," Chris said, with
commendable steadiness. "We will leave the matter of the ring out of the
question. Mr. Merritt, I don't propose to tell you too much, but you can
help me a little farther on the way. That cigar-case you saw in Van
Sneck's possession passed to Mr. Henson. By him, or by somebody in his
employ, it was substituted for a precisely similar case intended for a
present to Mr. Steel. The substitution has caused Mr. Steel a great deal
of trouble."

"Seeing as Van Sneck was found half dead in Mr. Steel's house, and seeing
as he claimed the cigar-case, what could be proved to be Van Sneck's, I'm
not surprised," Merritt grinned.

"Then you know all about it?"

"Don't know anything about it," Merritt growled, doggedly. "I guessed
that. When you said as the one case had been substituted for the other,
it don't want a regiment of schoolmasters to see where the pea lies. What
you've got to do now is to find Mr. Steel's case."

"I have already found it, as I hinted to you. It is at Rutter's, in
Moreton Wells. It was sold to them by the gentleman who had given up
smoking. I want you to go into Moreton Wells with me to-day and see if
you can get at the gentleman's identity."

Mr. Merritt demurred. It was all very well fo