w, by thunder, I've even been robbed by my wife! And Holmes says
that you claim that William X. Budd of Australia put you up to it! How
about it, eh?"

"Well, George, you know I never did like those diamond cuff-buttons,
and when Billie Budd came to me Monday morning with one of them, I
thought it would be a good chance to play a trick on you. I didn't
know that the others were going to be stolen too, and I thought you
would have enough left. You have any number of regular pearl
cuff-links, anyhow, that can be worn to society functions, and not as
if you were an end-man in a minstrel show, which is all that those
big, glaring diamond things are fit for! Mr. Holmes told me he had
replaced all the shoes that disappeared last night, as he took them
for the purpose of finding out where the stolen cuff-buttons were by
his peculiar hocus-pocus methods, so you can't accuse me of having
taken them too. I found _my_ pair of shoes in a corner of my room when
I returned there after breakfast. Now will you forgive me? Billie Budd
is gone, so I don't suppose there will be any further trouble," the
Countess concluded, gazing appealingly at her husband.

The others all looked up with surprise as she mentioned the return of
the shoes, and then turned their eyes toward Holmes with mixed
admiration and perplexity, while the Earl replied:

"Well, you may thank your lucky stars, Annabelle, that I am such an
easy-going fellow as I am known to be, or else high life in London
would be aroused by gossip of another divorce. I'll forgive you; but
don't let it happen again."

"All right, George, thank you; but I still think that Launcelot is
responsible for the disappearance of the other eight cuff-buttons."
With which Parthian shot, the Countess of Puddingham left the room.

"Still got it in for Brother Launcie, eh?" grinned Holmes, as the Earl
put the third gem in his vest-pocket. "Look here, I want to know the
reason for this prejudice on her part."

"Well, I don't mind telling you," returned the Earl with a smile, as
the accused Launcelot got very embarrassed. "My brother was greatly
opposed to my marrying Annabelle, for social reasons, because of her
proximity to the tea and spice business,--as I suppose you have become
aware,--so naturally after we were married she hasn't looked on him
with very much favor, to say the least. But _ich kebibble_," he added,
as he straightened up in his chair.

"We've got back three out of the lost ele