ving him
with a deal more money than he can afford locked up and the possibility
of a dead loss if they don't revive. Then there are these infernal
diamonds. He is not morally responsible, we know; but it is a question
if he is not legally responsible, though the lawyers think he is not.
Anyhow, there is going to be a meeting of the creditors to-morrow."

"And what do you think they will do?"

"Oh, they will, most probably, let him go on for the present; but, of
course, if he is made accountable for the diamonds there will be nothing
for it but to 'go through the hoop,' as the sporting financier
expresses it."

"The diamonds were of considerable value, then?"

"From twenty-five to thirty thousand pounds' worth vanished with that
parcel."

I whistled. This was a much bigger affair than I had imagined, and I was
wondering if Thorndyke had realised the magnitude of the robbery, when
we arrived at the police court.

"I suppose our friends have gone inside," said Walter. "They must have
got here before us."

This supposition was confirmed by a constable of whom we made inquiry,
and who directed us to the entrance to the court. Passing down a passage
and elbowing our way through the throng of idlers, we made for the
solicitor's box, where we had barely taken our seats when the case was
called.

Unspeakably dreary and depressing were the brief proceedings that
followed, and dreadfully suggestive of the helplessness of even an
innocent man on whom the law has laid its hand and in whose behalf its
inexorable machinery has been set in motion.

The presiding magistrate, emotionless and dry, dipped his pen while
Reuben, who had surrendered to his bail, was placed in the dock and the
charge read over to him. The counsel representing the police gave an
abstract of the case with the matter-of-fact air of a house-agent
describing an eligible property. Then, when the plea of "not guilty" had
been entered, the witnesses were called. There were only two, and when
the name of the first, John Hornby, was called, I glanced towards the
witness-box with no little curiosity.

I had not hitherto met Mr. Hornby, and as he now entered the box, I saw
an elderly man, tall, florid, and well-preserved, but strained and wild
in expression and displaying his uncontrollable agitation by continual
nervous movements which contrasted curiously with the composed demeanour
of the accused man. Nevertheless, he gave his evidence in a perfectly
con