“I thought I dropped my snuff-box, sir? Are you mad?”
“You’ll pardon me, Major Rockley, no. You made a mistake; it is my duty to see the matter right. You imagined that you dropped your snuff-box, and you picked it up, when you were seated a little while ago.”
“Well, sir?”
If Lord Carboro’ had made a mistake, how dare he meet that man again?
“You do not seem to understand me, Major Rockley. The case you picked up was not a snuff-box, but contained jewels belonging to one of my guests.”
“I did not know your guests carried their jewels in cases, Mr Denville,” said the Major, with a forced laugh. “They seem to be wearing them.”
“It is so easy to make a mistake, Major Rockley,” continued the MC, on finding that it was more simple to attack than he had expected.
“I never make mistakes, sir,” said the Major haughtily.
“I should not have spoken to you like this, sir, if the act had not been seen,” said Denville, angrily now.
“Act? Seen? Good heavens, sir! Do you take me for a thief?” said Rockley, in a hoarse whisper. “Do you think—why—confound! I am astounded!”