had heard nothing of the Edinburgh
tragedy.

"'The London papers had reported the crime very briefly. The accused was
busy shopping; she knew nothing of Mr. David Graham's altered position.
In no case was the breaking off of the engagement a proof that the
accused had obtained possession of the jewels by so foul a deed.'

"It is, of course, impossible for me," continued the man in the corner
apologetically, "to give you any idea of the eminent advocate's
eloquence and masterful logic. It struck every one, I think, just as it
did me, that he chiefly directed his attention to the fact that there
was absolutely no _proof_ against the accused.

"Be that as it may, the result of that remarkable trial was a verdict of
'Non Proven.' The jury was absent forty minutes, and it appears that in
the mind of every one of them there remained, in spite of Sir James'
arguments, a firmly rooted conviction--call it instinct, if you
like--that Edith Crawford had done away with Lady Donaldson in order to
become possessed of those jewels, and that in spite of the pompous
jeweller's many contradictions, she had offered him some of those
diamonds for sale. But there was not enough proof to convict, and she
was given the benefit of the doubt.

"I have heard English people argue that in England she would have been
hanged. Personally I doubt that. I think that an English jury, not
having the judicial loophole of 'Non Proven,' would have been bound to
acquit her. What do you think?"

CHAPTER XVII

UNDENIABLE FACTS

There was a moment's silence, for Polly did not reply immediately, and
he went on making impossible knots in his bit of string. Then she said
quietly--

"I think that I agree with those English people who say that an English
jury would have condemned her.... I have no doubt that she was guilty.
She may not have committed that awful deed herself. Some one in the
Charlotte Square house may have been her accomplice and killed and
robbed Lady Donaldson while Edith Crawford waited outside for the
jewels. David Graham left his godmother at 8.30 p.m. If the accomplice
was one of the servants in the house, he or she would have had plenty of
time for any amount of villainy, and Edith Crawford could have yet
caught the 9.10 p.m. train from the Caledonian Station."

"Then who, in your opinion," he asked sarcastically, and cocking his
funny birdlike head on one side, "tried to sell diamond earrings to Mr.
Campbell, the jeweller?