; I remember that."

"Well, the burglar carried off, among other things that were of little
value, this packet of papers. He concealed them at his lodgings in
Kentish Town, and he chose a curious and ingenious hiding-place--a
recess behind a loose brick in the wall of the house, just below his
window. Shortly afterward the rascal--his name was Noah Hawker--was
caught at another crime, and sent to penal servitude for a term of
years. On his release last spring, on ticket-of-leave, he went abroad,
and when he returned to England several weeks ago he resurrected the
papers from their place of security, studied them, and saw an
opportunity for gain. He knew that they concerned three persons--you,
Victor Nevill and myself--and he was cunning enough to start with
Victor. He hunted him up and offered to sell the papers for a thousand
pounds. My nephew agreed to buy them, intending to destroy them and thus
retain his position as my sole heir--"

"Then Nevill knew who I was?" exclaimed Jack.

"Yes, he knew recently," Sir Lucius replied. "I must break off to tell
you that while I was abroad this summer, Victor promised, at my request,
to try to trace your mother; but I am thoroughly convinced now that he
made no effort whatever, and that he lied to me basely, with the hope of
making me believe that the task was impossible. To proceed, the man
Hawker was traced by the police, and arrested while awaiting the arrival
of my nephew to complete the sale of the papers. He believed that Victor
had betrayed him, and he determined to be revenged. So he confided in
the Governor of Pentonville Prison, who went to the house in Kentish
Town and found the papers. Then, at the prisoner's earnest request, he
sent for me this morning. I went to Pentonville and Hawker told me the
whole story and gave me the papers. By the way, he knows you, my boy,
and declares that you did him a kindness not long ago. It was at a
night-club, I think, and you bandaged a wound on his head."

"I remember!" exclaimed Jack. "By Jove, was that the man?"

"The fellow _must_ have been intent on revenge," said Jimmie, "to
incriminate himself so deeply."

"That can't make much difference to Hawker, and he knows it," Sir Lucius
replied. "It seems that he was really wanted for something more serious
than failing to report himself to the police. In fact, as you will be
surprised to learn, he is said to be mixed up in the robbery of the
Rembrandt from Lamb and Drummond. H