His wife pulled him to his feet. "Try and be a man, Lawrence," she said. "What is this document?"
"Nothing--nothing--but I must have it," cried Hill jerking himself away. He ran across the room, and fumbled at the lock of a cabinet. "See--see--I have the diamonds! I found them in the hand--I put them into a canvas bag--here--here--" his fingers shook so that he could hardly open the drawer. Foxy came forward and kindly helped him. Between the two, the drawer was opened. Hill flung out a mass of papers, which strewed the floor. Then from beneath these, he hauled a small canvas bag tied at the mouth and sealed. "All the diamonds are here," he said, bringing this to Don and trying to open it. "Forty thousand pounds--forty--for God's sake--" he broke off hysterically--"the paper, the paper I signed!"
Don took possession of the bag and was about to hand over the document, when Foxy snatched it. "We'll send this from the Continent," he said, "while we have this, you won't be able to set the peelers on us."
Hill began to cry and again fell on his knees, but Father Don took no notice of him. He emptied the contents of the bag on the table and there the jewels flashed in the lamp-light, a small pile of very fine stones. While he gloated over them, Mrs. Hill laid her hand on Foxy's arm: "What is in that paper?" she asked sternly.
"Don't tell her--don't tell her!" cried Hill.
"Lawrence!"
But he put his hands to his ears and still cried and grovelled. "I shall go mad if you tell her! I shall--ah--oh--ugh--!" he suddenly clutched at his throat and reeled to the sofa.
Mrs. Hill took little notice of him. "Read me the document," she said.
"I can almost repeat it from memory," said Foxy, putting the paper into his pocket; "it's simply a confession by your husband that he stole a certain necklace belonging to----"
"The Delham heirloom!" cried Mrs. Hill, turning grey, and recoiling.