And Brian, his younger brother, answered carelessly—
"Hugo has had it for the last week or two."
Then, disturbed by his brother's tone, he came to Richard's side and looked at the fragments of the box by which Richard was still kneeling. With an exclamation of surprise he took up the lid of the box and examined it carefully. The name of its owner had been printed in ink on the smooth, brown surface—Hugo Luttrell. And the stolen property was hidden in that little wooden box.
The exclamations of the two brothers were characteristic. Richard raised himself with the pocket-book in his hand, and said vehemently—
"The young scoundrel! He shall rue it!"
While Brian, looking shocked and grieved, sat down on the stump of a tree and muttered, "Poor lad!" between his teeth, as he contemplated the miserable fragments on the ground.
The sound of a bell came faintly to their ears through the clear morning air. Richard spoke sharply.
"We must leave the matter for the present. Don't say anything about it. Lock up the boat-house, Brian, and keep the key. We'll have Hugo down here after breakfast, and see whether he'll make a clean breast of it."
"He may know nothing at all about it," suggested Brian, rising from his seat.
"It is to be hoped so," said Luttrell, curtly. He walked out of the boat-house with frowning brows and sparkling eyes. "I know one thing—my roof won't shelter him any longer if he is guilty." And then he marched away to the house, leaving Brian to lock the door and follow at his ease.