THE PRICE OF SILENCE
For a few moments there was a dead silence. Tempest looked gravely shocked. Mrs Jeal triumphant, and the curate much disturbed. He had been so certain of Leo's innocence that this precise evidence took his breath away. Leo was thunderstruck, and passed his hand across his eyes to make sure that he was not dreaming.
"You saw me pawn what I never had in my possession!" he said quietly.
Mrs Jeal shrugged her plump shoulders. "I can say no more than I know," she said. "Of course, I quite expected you would deny my story."
"I have not heard it yet," replied the accused man, slowly; "and I shall be glad to hear it. At the present moment, I declare most solemnly that I never took the cup. I did not even know it was stolen until I returned from London."
"Where you had pawned it," finished Mrs Jeal.
The vicar interposed. He was struck by Leo's calmness, which was not that of a guilty person. "I think you had better tell your story, Mrs Jeal," he said; "then we can hear Mr Haverleigh."
"I thank you for giving me a fair trial, Mr Tempest," said Leo, quietly, and sat down with his eyes on the face of the woman.
Mrs Jeal cleared her throat, and in a slow voice began to speak. She rather enjoyed her position, and made the most of it. "But before speaking of what I know, sir," she said, looking at the vicar, "might I ask if it is true that you have offered a reward for the recovery of the cup?"
"I have not done so myself," said Tempest, gravely; "but Mr Pratt, who presented the cup to me, has offered the sum of fifty pounds to whomsoever will give information likely to lead to its recovery. If you know of anything, Mrs Jeal—"