"Yes, it could be that--assuredly it could be that," he said in a
low-sunk voice, as if answering a query. "But in England--in this
far land. In Malay, yes; in Ceylon, certainly. And sapphires,
too--sapphires! Hum-m-m! They mine them there. One man had travelled
in foreign parts and been tattooed by natives. So that the selfsame
country----Just so! Of course! Of course! But who? But how? And in
England?"

His voice dropped off. He stood for a minute or so in absolute
silence, drumming noiselessly with his finger tips upon the
window-sill, then turned abruptly and spoke to Mr. Narkom.

"Go on with the story, please," he said. "There was a fifth man, I
believe. When and how did his end come?"

"Like the others, for the most part, but with one startling
difference: instead of being undressed, nothing had been removed but
his collar and boots. He was killed on the night I started with
Dollops for the Continent in quest of you; and his was the second
body that was not actually found _on_ the heath. Like the first man,
he was found under the wall which surrounds Lemmingham House."

"Lemmingham House? What's that--a hotel or a private residence?"

"A private residence, owned and occupied by Mr. James
Barrington-Edwards."

"Any relation to that Captain Barrington-Edwards who was cashiered
from the army some twenty years ago for 'conduct unbecoming an
officer and a gentleman'?"

"The same man!"

"Oho! the same man, eh?" Cleek's tone was full of sudden interest.
"Stop a bit! Let me put my thinking box into operation. Captain
Barrington-Edwards--hum-m-m! That little military unpleasantness
happened out in Ceylon, did it not? The gentleman had a fancy for
conjuring tricks, I believe; even went so far as to study them
firsthand under the tutelage of native fakirs, and was subsequently
caught cheating at cards. That's the man, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Narkom, "that's the man. I'll have something startling
to tell you in connection with him presently, but not in connection
with that card-cheating scandal. He always swore that he was innocent
of that. In fact, that it was a put-up job by one of the other
officers for the sake of ruining him."

"Yes, I know--they all say that. It's the only thing they can say."

"Still, I always believed him, Cleek. He's been a pretty
straightforward man in all my dealings with him, and I've had
several. Besides which, he is highly respected these days. Then,
too, there's the fact that the