第47章

No skin-mark (as of a human hand) printed off on the paint.All the signs visible--signs which told that the paint had been smeared by some loose article of somebody's dress touching it in going by.That somebody (putting together Penelope's evidence and Mr.Franklin's evidence) must have been in the room, and done the mischief, between midnight and three o'clock on the Thursday morning.

Having brought his investigation to this point, Sergeant Cuff discovered that such a person as Superintendent Seegrave was still left in the room, upon which he summed up the proceedings for his brother-officer's benefit, as follows:

`This trifle of yours, Mr.Superintendent,' says the Sergeant, pointing to the place on the door, `has grown a little in importance since you noticed it last.At the present stage of the inquiry there are, as I take it, three discoveries to make, starting from that smear.Find out (first) whether there is any article of dress in this house with the smear of the paint on it.Find out (second) who that dress belongs to.Find out (third) how the person can account for having been in this room, and smeared the paint, between midnight and three in the morning.If the person can't satisfy you, you haven't far to look for the hand that has got the Diamond.I'll work this by myself, if you please, and detain you no longer from your regular business in the town.You have got one of your men here, I see.

Leave him here at my disposal, in case I want him--and allow me to wish you good morning.'

Superintendent Seegrave's respect for the Sergeant was great; but his respect for himself was greater still.Hit hard by the celebrated Cuff, he hit back smartly, to the best of his ability, on leaving the room.

`I have abstained from expressing any opinion, so far,' says Mr.Superintendent, with his military voice still in good working order.`I have now only one remark to offer on leaving this case in your hands.There is such a thing, Sergeant, as making a mountain out of a molehill.Good morning.'

`There is also such a thing as making nothing out of a molehill, in consequence of your head being too high to see it.' Having returned his brother-officer's compliments in those terms, Sergeant Cuff wheeled about, and walked away to the window by himself.

Mr.Franklin and I waited to see what was coming next.The Sergeant stood at the window with his hands in his pockets, looking out, and whistling the tune of `The Last Rose of Summer' softly to himself.Later in the proceedings, I discovered that he only forgot his manners so far as to whistle, when his mind was hard at work, seeing its way inch by inch to its own private ends, on which occasions `The Last Rose of Summer' evidently helped and encouraged him.I suppose it fitted in somehow with his character.It reminded him, you see, of his favourite roses, and, as he whistled it, it was the most melancholy tune going.

Turning from the window, after a minute or two, the Sergeant walked into the middle of the room, and stopped there, deep in thought, with his eyes on Miss Rachel's bedroom door.After a little he roused himself, nodded his head, as much as to say, `That will do,' and, addressing me, asked for ten minutes' conversation with my mistress, at her ladyship's earliest convenience.

Leaving the room with this message, I heard Mr.Franklin ask the Sergeant a question, and stopped to hear the answer also at the threshold of the door.

`Can you guess yet,' inquired Mr.Franklin, `who has stolen the Diamond?'

` Nobody has stolen the Diamond ,' answered Sergeant Cuff.

We both started at that extraordinary view of the case, and both earnestly begged him to tell us what he meant.

`Wait a little,' said the Sergeant.`The pieces of the puzzle are not all put together yet.'