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Page 70
There was no explanation of what it meant to be had from the
man whom Bryce and Harker and Dick Bewery secretly watched
from behind the screen of cypress trees. Four of them watched
in silence, or with no more than a whispered word now and then
while the fifth worked. This man worked methodically,
replacing each stone as he took it up and examined the soil
beneath it. So far nothing had resulted, but he was by that
time working at some distance from the tomb, and Bryce, who
had an exceedingly accurate idea of where the spot might be,
as indicated in the measurements on the scrap of paper, nudged
Harker as the master-mason began to take up the last of the
small flags. And suddenly there was a movement amongst the
watchers, and the master-mason looked up from his job and
motioned Mitchington to pass him a trowel which lay at a
little distance.
"Something here!" he said, loudly enough to reach the ears of
Bryce and his companions. "Not so deep down, neither,
gentlemen!"
A few vigorous applications of the trowel, a few lumps of
earth cast out of the cavity, and the master-mason put in
his hand and drew forth a small parcel, which in the light
of the lamp held close to it by Mitchington looked to be
done up in coarse sacking, secured by great blotches of
black sealing wax. And now it was Harker who nudged Bryce,
drawing his attention to the fact that the parcel, handed by
the master-mason to Mitchington was at once passed on by
Mitchington to the Duke of Saxonsteade, who, it was very plain
to see, appeared to be as much delighted as surprised at
receiving it.
"Let us go to your office, inspector," he said. "We'll
examine the contents there. Let us all go at once!"
The three figures behind the cypress trees remained immovable
and silent until the five searchers had gone away with their
lamps and tools and the sound of their retreating footsteps in
Friary Lane had died out. Then Dick Bewery moved and began to
slip off, and Bryce reached out a hand and took him by the
shoulder.
"I say, Bewery!" he said. "Going to tell all that?"
Harker got in a word before Dick could answer.
"No matter if he does, doctor," he remarked quietly. "Whatever
it is, the whole town'll know of it by tomorrow. They'll not
keep it back."
Bryce let Dick go, and the boy immediately darted off in the
direction of the close, while the two men went towards
Harker's house. Neither spoke until they were safe in the old
detective's little parlour, then Harker, turning up his lamp,
looked at Bryce and shook his head.
"It's a good job I've retired!" he said, almost sadly. "I'm
getting too old for my trade, doctor. Once upon a time I
should have been fit to kick myself for not having twigged the
meaning of this business sooner than I have done!"
"Have you twigged it?" demanded Bryce, almost scornfully.
"You're a good deal cleverer than I am if you have. For hang
me if I know what it means!"
"I do!" answered Harker. He opened a drawer in his desk and
drew out a scrap-book, filled, as Bryce saw a moment later,
with cuttings from newspapers, all duly arranged and indexed.
The old man glanced at the index, turned to a certain page,
and put his finger on an entry. "There you are!" he said.
"And that's only one--there are several more. They'll tell
you in detail what I can tell you in a few words and what I
ought to have remembered. It's fifteen years since the
famous robbery at Saxonsteade which has never been accounted
for--robbery of the Duchess's diamonds--one of the cleverest
burglaries ever known, doctor. They were got one night after
a grand ball there; no arrest was ever made, they were never
traced. And I'll lay all I'm worth to a penny-piece that the
Duke and those men are gladding their eyes with the sight of
them just now!--in Mitchington's office--and that the
information that they were where they've just been found was
given to the Duke by--Glassdale!"
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