“And if we do not stumble on Captain Cochrane?” inquired Annie, whose assumption of masculine garb made it more imperative upon her to keep her composure than would have been the case had she been figuring simply as Annie Cory.
“In that case it will be difficult to bring conviction to the minds of judge and jury, if you decide to move for a fresh inquiry.”
“But the ring which the present captain of the ‘Merry Maid’ is bringing home with him?”
“That may prove valuable evidence, or it may not, just as it happens.”
“It is bound to be valuable evidence when it is identified as part of the stolen property, as it is sure to be.”
“By whom?”
“By whom? Why, by the Stavanger Bros., or by Mr. Riddell, who inventoried the goods the night they disappeared.”
“Well, I don’t want to dishearten you too much; but I feel it my duty to show you how difficult the case really is. No doubt Mr. Riddell could recognise this diamond ring. But would his word be accepted? He was convicted of the robbery by overwhelming evidence, which it is now to his interest to negative by every means in his power. It is, therefore, natural that he should try to remove the onus of guilt from his own shoulders to that of another, by swearing to property traced to that other’s possession. Pray, don’t be angry! I am not stating a private conviction that Mr. Riddell would swear falsely, but that a chuckle-headed judge or jury would be likely to think so. When a man is once down, the world likes to keep him down.”
“But,” put in Mr. Cory, “there are the Brothers Stavanger, who would know the ring as well as Mr. Riddell, presumably better.”
“And how are we to guarantee that they will aid the ends of justice by identifying that which will help to prove the son of the one and the nephew of the other to be a thief, a perjurer, and an absconding vagabond? The reputation of both the firm and the family depends upon Hugh Stavanger’s safety. I firmly believe that they have already done some false swearing in the matter. Is it likely that they will reverse their former tactics and play into our hands now?”