"No," laughed Lady Sarah; "poor old Sir George would be puzzled what to do with a diamond bracelet."
"Will you tell me," said the officer, wheeling sharply round upon Thomas when he entered, "who it was that called here yesterday evening, while your master was at dinner? I do not mean Sir George Danvers; the other one."
Thomas visibly hesitated: and that was sufficient for the lynx-eyed officer. "Nobody called but Sir George, sir," he presently said.
The detective stood before the man, staring him full in the face, with a look of amusement. "Think again, my man," quoth he. "Take your time. There was some one else."
The colonel fell into an explosion: reproaching the unfortunate Thomas with having eaten his bread for five years in India, to turn upon the house and its master at last, and act the part of a deceitful, conniving wretch, and let in that swindler——
"He is not a swindler, sir," interrupted Thomas.
"Oh no, not a swindler," roared the colonel; "he only steals diamond bracelets."
"No more than I steal 'em, sir," again spoke Thomas. "He's not capable, sir. It was Mr. Gerard."
The colonel was struck speechless: his rage vanished, and down he sat in a chair, staring at Thomas. Lady Sarah coloured with surprise.
"Now, my man," cried the officer, "why could you not have said it was Mr. Gerard?"