k was locked, and gave them to Singh."

"Each time?" said the Doctor. "Tax your memory. Are you sure of that?"

"Quite, sir. Certain. I wouldn't have taken the thing out. I hated
his having it here."

"But tell me this," said the Doctor; "the last time you found the keys
hanging in the lock, did you look in to see if the case was there?"

Glyn shook his head.

"Ah," said the Doctor, and he stood looking on while Glyn deftly emptied
and restored each drawer in turn, the task being facilitated by the
orderly state of the contents.

"Nothing," said the Doctor, as that task was ended. "Now, Mr Singh, it
will be as well to replace those scattered objects of attire in your
box."

"Oh," cried Singh angrily, "I can't think now of such trifles as those."

"Replace them in the box," said the Doctor sternly.--"Mr Severn, have
the goodness to help your friend."

As the Doctor spoke he gravely sank into one of the little bedroom
chairs, and sat thinking with wrinkled brow, and watching the
proceedings of the two boys till they had ended.

"Now," he said, "can you think out any clue to help us to find the
missing case?"

"No, sir," came almost simultaneously from the boys' lips.

"No," said the Doctor. "The mystery, for so I must call it, is at
present dark and impenetrable. I am not going to send for the police to
make a clumsy and painful investigation at once, because I still cling
to the belief that something will occur to you two boys that will help
us to pierce what now looks very black and impenetrable. You will
kindly do as I tell you: go on with your daily avocations as if nothing
had happened, and leave any expose of what may or may not be a painful
matter to come gradually and from me."

Both boys responded by a sharp nod of the head.

"If you have not thought about the matter," continued the Doctor, "let
me tell you this--though you, Severn, must have felt it only a short
time back. Every person who is questioned or examined about this
missing belt is bound to feel a pang of indignation at what he looks
upon as being treated as a thief. We are approaching to fourscore
personages in this establishment; and if the belt has been stolen, the
probability is that seventy-nine are innocent and only one guilty. Now,
you see, to find the one guilty we must spare the seventy-nine innocent.
Do you apprehend my meaning?"

"Yes, sir, of course," cried Glyn, while Singh was silent.

"Then I shall proceed