A ROMANCE RO A DETECTIVE'S CASE-BOOK. 117

A1V NAME IS DONOVAN.

“ Certainly. My name 15 Donovan— Dick Donovan. 1 am a professional detec tive ; and have been requested by his lord ship to try and recover the stolen cat’s cye. But, now, [ want you to answer mc a few questions, Mr. Ashburton. Did you sce the cat's-cye packed 27

“T did.”

“You actually saw it put into the box ?

“ Undoubtedly T did.”

“\Who was present at the time?”

“ Mr. Jeeheboy, Mr. Goosh, of the frm of Jecheboy, Lalam, Goosh & Co., from whom the gem was purchased 1 and Mr. Samuel Prince, head of the Colombo banking firm, Prince, Halford & Payne.”

“\Vas anyone clse present 77

“There were two clerks, natives, whose names I do not know."

“ And you have no doubt m your own mind that the real stone was placed 1 the box ?”

“ Not the slightest doubt. lutely certain it was.”

“You then saw the box scaled 77

“ 1 did.”

“Was it ever out of your presence, between the putting in of the stone and the sealing ? "

“ Not for a single instant.”

I am abso-

“Then, unless you were the vietim of

some strange optical illusion, you are abso-

lutcly convinced that the real stone was put into the box, and the box scaled m your presence 27

“ 1 am absolutely convinced that such

was the case.”

“What was done alter that 7~

“The package was handed mto my care, and I gave a receipt for it.”

“And after?”

“I placed 1t at once 1n a strong leather trunk, and e went on board the P.and O. et steamer Bentinck, which had | “7y just come mn."”

“And did you cmbark at once ? "

“ 1 did.”

“Were there many sengers on board 7

“Yes, a good many.”

L “How long did the stcamer il et remain in portafter you went Poawt o on board P . ‘“ About four hours.”

. “And was the leather trunk containing the cat's- cye placed in your cabin 7

Pas-

Yl owas”

• And not removed all the voyage 7

Y N(.).‘,,‘

“Was the leather trunk intact when you arrived in London 7"

“ As far as 1 know, it was.”

+ Have you any doubt on the subject 7"

“Not the slightest.”

“You still have that trunk, I suppose? ”

• Certainly T have.”

‘Could I sec it

“Oh, yes. Will you sce it now 27

“ Yes, I should like to do so.”

In compliance with my request he led me to his bedroom on the sccond floor, where in one corner stood @ dome-shaped lcather trunk of very solid construction. [t was sccured with two locks 1in the front, the locks being about a foot apart. I asked to inspect the keys, and Mr. Ashburton at once produced them.

“ T see you have two keys 27" T remarked.

“Yes”

“AVill one key open both locks 2"

“ No; each lock is of a totally different construction.”

I noted that the keys were quite different to ordinary keys. They were made in the shape of a shield, and had an unusual number of wards. I next proceeded to examine the trunk with the aid of a power- ful glass, and T was enabled to determine