"Carol Linescu. I used to run a livery stable in Bucharest, Roumania. The guy who stole the diamonds is that fat little loafer Olaf Yensen, the first coachman. I am the second coachman. He must be the guilty one because last week he tried to swipe my best pair of boots while I was asleep."
"Terrible, ain't it? Any other reason? No?—All right, Carol, beat it. Next! Now shoot 'em along quick, Thorney," Holmes said to the secretary, as the Roumanian went out, and a heavy-set man with blond hair, whose blue eyes blazed fiercely behind his spectacles, entered.
"Your name, please. And what do you know about the diamonds?"
"Heinrich Blumenroth, formerly of His Majesty the King of Bavaria's royal gardens at Munich, Germany. I don't know who stole the diamonds, but I can say that any one in the place is likely to have stolen them, except Harrigan, La Violette, and myself. We are the only three that are worth a darn. Nothing else, is there? I'd like to get back to the gardens. Very busy this morning."
And the first gardener turned on his heel, whereupon Holmes remarked with a grin:
"Sorry to have troubled you, Herr Blumenroth. You're all right. You're exonerated. Next!"
A short and swarthy fellow entered, who looked like a bandit.
"Well, what's your name, anyhow? Where did you drop from, and what do you know about this affair?" queried Holmes.
"Demetrius [Xanthopoulos]. I am the second gardener, and I used to work in the King of Greece's gardens at Corfu. I think that La Violette, the chef, is the man who stole the cuff-buttons. He's entirely too supercilious, and kicks me out of the kitchen every time I try to get in after a hand-out!"
"All right. If I were Louis I'd do the same. Beat it. Next!"