e him. There!"
said Charles, "that is the whole truth. Carr did not take the jewels;
that is absolutely proved, and the sooner he is let out the better. Who
took them Heaven only knows! I don't. But I know who meant to, and that
was Carr."

"Charles," said Ralph, with glistening eyes, "if ever I get them back
you shall have the crescent."

"A very neat little story altogether," said Sir George, "and the episode
of temptation very effectively thrown in. It does you credit, my son,
and is a great relief to your old father's mind."

"Thank you, Charles," said Marston, getting up. "Sir George, it is close
on luncheon-time, and Carr must be let out at once. Now that Charles has
so completely cleared himself I don't see that anything more can be done
for the moment; and of one thing I am certain, namely, that you are
making yourself much worse, and must keep absolutely quiet for the rest
of the day. If I may advise, I would suggest that Carr should be allowed
to leave, as he wishes to do, by the afternoon train, and should not be
pressed to stay. There is nothing more to be got out of him; and,
considering the circumstances, I should say the sooner he is out of the
house the better. As he has been wrongly suspected, I think the robbery
had better not be mentioned to any one, even the ladies in the house,
until after he has left."

"Aurelia knows," said Ralph. "She was with me in the library. I left her
crying bitterly about them."

"Let her cry, if she will only hold her tongue," said Sir George, making
a last effort to speak, but evidently at the extreme point of
exhaustion. "And you, Marston, you are right about Carr. See that he
goes this afternoon. There is nothing more to be done at present.
Charles, you will remain here, though I have no doubt you have an
engagement in London. I cannot spare you just yet."

Charles bowed, and he and Marston went out. I remained a second behind
with Ralph.

"I see it quite clearly," said Sir George. "I know Charles. He is sharp
enough. He saw Carr meant mischief, and he was beforehand with him; and
_he_ took what Carr meant to take. It was not badly imagined, but he
should have made certain Carr was sleeping in the house. It all turned
on that. He never reckoned on the possibility of Carr's being cleared."

"Middleton is still here," said Ralph, significantly, who was pouring
out something for his father.

"Is he? I thought he was gone!" said Sir George, so sharply, that I
co