The lodge keeper hastened to throw open the massive iron gates embellished with Sir Silas Gwinnear's arms, but before the chauffeur could restart, a sergeant of the Cornish constabulary, accompanied by a policeman and a plain-clothes officer, stepped up and saluted the baronet.
"Sorry to have to inform you, Sir Silas, that up to the present we haven't any clue," said the sergeant.
"Clue? What on earth do you mean, Coombes?" asked the baronet in astonishment.
"About the burglary, sir; haven't——"
"Burglary—where?"
"Didn't Mr Tassh wire to you, sir?"
"Certainly not. What's wrong now?"
"Mr Tassh reported to us early this morning that Polkerwyck House had been broken into during the night and a large quantity of silver had been taken away."
"My silver? Surely none of the presentation plate I had given me by Lloyds'?"
"Unfortunately, sir, that is missing."