"Not for a moment!" said Joseph. "We felt at once that you had given the jewels to Horbury."
The Earl set the casket down on Gabriel's desk and looked a little uncertain—and uncomfortable. Gabriel indicated the chair which he had politely moved forward on his visitor's entrance.
"Won't your lordship sit down?" he said.
The Earl accepted the invitation and looked from one man to the other. A sudden impression crossed his mind—never, he thought, were there two men from whom it was so difficult to get a word as these Chestermarkes—who had such a queer habit of staring in silence at one!
"The—the housekeeper appears to have run away," he said haltingly. "That's—somewhat queer, isn't it?"
"We understand Mrs. Carswell has left the house—and the town," replied Gabriel. "As to it's being queer—well, all this is queer!"
"And—all of a piece!" remarked Joseph.
The Earl was glad that the junior partner made that remark, and he turned to him.
"I understand you saw her—and spoke to her—just before she left, this morning?" he said hesitatingly. "Did she—er—give you the impression of being—shall we say, uneasy?"
"I certainly saw her—and spoke to her," asserted Joseph. "I went to scold her. I had given her orders that no one was to be allowed access to certain rooms in the house, and that we were not to be bothered by callers. She fetched me out to see Miss Fosdyke—I went to scold her for that. We had our reasons for not permitting access to those rooms. They have, of course, been frustrated."