“Impossible, my lord!”
“Possible, Denville. I tell you there must be no more robberies here. Hang it, man, stand up.”
“A sudden giddiness, my lord. I am better now. I will get the jewels back. But, one moment, my lord, are you really quite sure?”
“I am certain.”
“But Major Rockley may mean—”
“Hush, Denville. What do you know of handsome Rockley? Do you think he will give the jewels back if he can get them away? Act; at once.”
“Suppose he is wrong,” said Denville to himself, as he went off on his painful task. “What an insult to an officer—the Prince’s friend.”
“I dare not do it,” he said after a pause. “It must be some mistake. Such an act would be the work of a common thief. He must be wrong.”
He shrank from his task, but he felt that it must be done, for how could he let it go forth that there had been another diamond robbery from his house. It was impossible.
As he hesitated he caught sight of Lord Carboro’ watching him. Barclay too was there, evidently about to speak to him, and he felt that he must. Better to offend Major Rockley than have another scandal.