."

"You had better leave Carr alone, Charles," said Ralph, significantly.

"Let him go on," said Sir George.

"I have no proof," continued Charles; "I did not see him take them, but
I am as certain of it as if I had seen it with my own eyes. The jewels
could only have been stolen by some one staying in the house. That is
certain. Who, excepting Carr, was a stranger among us? Who, excepting
Carr--"

"Stop, Charles," said Ralph again. "Don't you know that Carr slept with
me down at the lodge?"

Charles turned on his brother and gripped his shoulder.

"Do you mean to say," he said, sharply, "that Carr did not sleep in the
house last night?"

"Dear me, Charles, that was an oversight on your part," came Sir
George's whisper.

"No," replied Ralph, "he did not. The house was full, and we had to put
him in that second small room through mine in the lodge. If Carr had
been dying to take them he had not the opportunity. He could not have
left his room without passing through mine, and I never went to sleep at
all. I had a sharp touch of neuralgia from the cold, which kept me awake
all night."

"He got out through the window," said Charles.

"Nonsense!" said Ralph, getting visibly angry; "you are only making
matters worse by trying to put it on him. Remember the size of the
window. Besides, you know how the lodge stands, built against the garden
wall. When I came out this morning there was not a single footstep in
the snow, except those we had made as we went there the night before. I
noticed our footmarks particularly, because I had been afraid there
would be more snow. No one could by any possibility have left the house
during the night. Even Jones himself had not been out, for there was a
little eddy of snow before the back door, and I remember calling to him
that he would want his broom."

"The snow clinches the matter, Charles," said Marston, gravely. "You
have made a mistake."

"Quite unintentional, I'm sure," whispered Sir George.

There was something I did not like about that whisper. It seemed to
imply more than met the ear.

Charles did not appear to hear him. He was looking fixedly before him,
his hand had dropped from Ralph's shoulder, his face was quite gray.

"Then," he said, slowly, as if waking out of a dream, "it was _not_
Carr."

"No," said Sir George; "I never thought it was."

"Good God!" ejaculated Charles, sinking into a low chair by the fire,
and shading his face with his hand. "Not C