e shoes. Not the daintiest job
in the world, perhaps, but it brings the results, and that's the main
thing. This now makes a total of nine of the Puddingham cuff-buttons I
have unearthed, and I have promised myself that I shall bag the other
two by to-night."

"Do you always keep the promises you make to yourself, Holmes?" said
Launcelot, with a grin.

"You just bet your life I do,--every time! But as His Lordship has
evidently filed a _nolle_ in the case of The State vs. Hicks, we'll go
on with the billiards, with that Canadian gentleman remaining still
unhanged. Now shoot 'em up, fellows."

So saying, the cold-blooded old sleuth sailed into the game with the
other four men, and I sat tight in one of the chairs and talked about
the weather with Letstrayed, which was about the extent of the
latter's conversational abilities, although every once in a while I
could hear him say to himself under his breath: "Nine down--two to
come!"

They played on at the billiard-table for over two hours, and then it
was noontime, and the still abashed MacTavish, the footman, came in
and announced luncheon.

The Earl led the way down to the dining-room, and after we had been
seated, Holmes told Harrigan to pass the word out to La Violette in
the kitchen that his Canadian friend had confessed his share in the
diamond robbery, but that Louis shouldn't worry about any possible
indictment as an accomplice, and that he trusted that the green peas
would be as good as ever, prepared under his able direction.

"Won't you try some of the Ceylon tea I brought in, Holmes?" asked
Tooter. "I may as well advertise it all I can, now that you have
exposed my secret salesmanship in the castle."

"No, thanks," said Holmes crisply, "I always prefer coffee,
anyhow,--the stronger the better; and moreover, I am still more
interested in what I thought that tea-packet was that you had upstairs
when I intruded on your love-making."

"All right, suit yourself then, you old crab! I'm going right ahead
with my plans for marrying Teresa Olivano anyhow, in spite of you and
the Earl and your dodgasted cuff-buttons."

And Uncle J. Edmund Tooter said no more for the remainder of the
luncheon.

When the meal was over, and Inspector Letstrayed seemed somewhat more
overcome than usual, the party dispersed, and Holmes and I took a walk
through the rooms on the first floor,--"just for fun," as he put it.
It was then a little after one o'clock. As we were going t