Clement acknowledged that he could no longer fence off the evil moment. He turned to the captain with a resigned air. “There are my bags,” he said. “I haven’t been in the baggage room since I came aboard, as your baggage master can testify. If that tiara is anywhere it is in my suitcases.” He pointedly drew attention to his suitcases. He noted that the steward attended to this fact. For though he searched the suitcases with great cunning, starting first on the one he had not put the tiara into, so as to hide his own knowledge, he seemed to have something on his mind.
It was very definitely on his mind after he had drawn blank in the suitcases, had drawn blank in his careful examination of the cabin, and had reassured himself that the porthole had been locked, anyhow, since this morning.
He stood up studying Clement with lowering and evil eyes. He said, “No, it ain’t anywhere ’ere. Not in the suitcases or anywheres. There’s only ’imself.”
“You seem curiously anxious to fix suspicion on me,” said Clement sharply. “To divert it, I might say.”
“Well, there’s nowhere else, is there?” snapped the man.
“Captain Heavy,” said Clement, with an anger that must affect the captain, “Am I to submit to this outrage any longer? Is this man to fix suspicion on me for some reason of his own?...”
“I don’t want ter search ’im, if ’e don’t want it. There’s always th’ police,” said the steward.
Clement turned swiftly to the captain. He held his arms out straight. “Please search me, captain,” he said savagely.
Captain Heavy with a little shrug, and a “I wish this was merely a joke, old man,” searched Clement. He did the job in the Scotland Yard manner. It was complete, it was brilliantly thorough. When he had finished he stepped back and stared at the steward. He also stared at the lady. And he said, bitterly, “Well?”
The lady’s face showed that apoplectical tint that might come to even the best-nourished woman when she is torn by the two powerful but contrary emotions, those of groveling apology, and anger with a steward who had made her look a fool.