nxiety upon her face; "I am sorry
to have it proved that this thing was done by some of our people. I am
reluctant to institute a search that may implicate some poor man whose
wife and children may live in our very town."

The detective laughs softly.

"There it is," he exclaims. "An amateur must always judge by what
appears uppermost. We detectives, as a rule, always distrust the most
plausible theory. Now look, a skilled burglar is a man of many
resources; a burglar studies his business as I study mine. You have no
idea how much misapplied talent goes roaming about of nights with a
jimmy and a dark lantern. Now let us suppose this case. A professional
burglar in the course of his wanderings, hears, as would be quite
natural, of the immense value of the Wardour diamonds, and he desires to
possess them. Now it's a great prize, and he goes to work with his
utmost care. He has confederates; they come, one or all, and manage to
gain the necessary information; they may come as tramps, pedlars, what
not; a talkative servant, a gossiping neighbor, like Mrs. Malloy, or
fragments of information picked up here and there may help them to get
the 'lay of the land;' they may even have entered the house, probably
have, and it may have been last month, or last year; our burglar
nourishes his job and studies it carefully. Finally he is ready; he
strikes; he succeeds. I do not say this is the case, understand; I
simply put it as a thing possible; and quite as probable as that the
thieves are here in W----."

Constance muses; she is thinking of various other depredations committed
in and about W----; and, as once before she recounted them to Doctor
Heath, she enumerates them now, and closes by saying:

"Your burglars keep a sharp eye on us, at all events, Mr. Bathurst."

"Naturally," assents the detective; "W---- is a capital field for that
sort of chap. It's a little mine of itself, and will always receive due
attention from the law breakers. By the by, Miss Wardour, these facts
you mention are worth noting; after considering, I think I will remain
in W---- during to-morrow. I want to explore about the river, and about
this place, a little more. If I may see you to-morrow I would like your
version of these other older robberies. I keep a record of every crime
reported, and, no doubt, have each of these upon my register, but not as
I would receive them from you. I do not wish to be seen or known, as
acting in this matter; your frie