Addressing himself to Drelincourt, Sir John said: "The prisoner's statement is that he found the locket in question a few days ago in a summer house in which Mrs. Drelincourt was in the habit of sitting on fine afternoons, and that he pocketed it with the intention of subsequently disposing of it for his own benefit. In so far he admits his guilt, but he persists in asserting that he had no hand in the robbery, or in the commission of the far more serious crime with which we are more especially concerned at present."
Once more he turned to Lucille. "As I am led to understand, you are not prepared to assert positively that you saw the locket in your mistress' jewel case yesterday or the day before?"
"Non, monsieur. I do not remember."
"Thank you, mademoiselle; I have nothing further to ask you at present."
"Merci, monsieur."
Having favored Sir John with an elaborate courtesy, she left the room. "There is still one point on which I am not clear," remarked Sir John. "What gave rise, in the first instance, to this man's arrest?"
"The onus of that rests with me," replied Mr. Ormsby. "It was in answer to certain questions put by me and Draycot to Lucille that we were told of the threats this scoundrel had made use of towards my poor sister."
Once more Gumley could not restrain himself. "Scoundrel, eh?" he said with a scowl. "I wish you had this acrost your face instead o' me!"
"Gumley, you are unbearable," said Sir John, in his most severe accents. "The next time you attempt to interrupt the proceedings I will have you removed."
"Then it was," resumed Mr. Ormsby, "that I suggested to Draycot that this man should be found--we were given to understand that he had not yet left the village--and that both he and his lodgings should be searched. The result was that one of the missing articles--a locket--was found on his person."