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"By this time the whole house was astir, for I had raised my

voice in my anger. Mary was the first to rush into my room, and,

at the sight of the coronet and of Arthur's face, she read the

whole story and, with a scream, fell down senseless on the

ground. I sent the housemaid for the police and put the

investigation into their hands at once. When the inspector and a

constable entered the house, Arthur, who had stood sullenly with

his arms folded, asked me whether it was my intention to charge

him with theft. I answered that it had ceased to be a private

matter, but had become a public one, since the ruined coronet was

national property. I was determined that the law should have its

way in everything.

"'At least,' said he, 'you will not have me arrested at once. It

would be to your advantage as well as mine if I might leave the

house for five minutes.'