"What are you saying, Evelina, you stupid fool! Just fancy!--That one
should hear one's own flesh and blood tell lies about herself and get
herself convicted! You can see very well, sir, that she is out of her
senses, and doesn't know what she is saying."
"You had better look after yourself, Mrs. Reierson, and help us to get a
full confession and the money back. The diamond has been sold for five
thousand kroners, and perhaps you have got the money yourself."
I shan't weary you by recalling the scene which followed; suffice it to
say that the mother raged like a fury, and denied knowing anything
whatever about the diamond or the money. The young girl did not utter a
single word from this moment until she was taken to the police station.
I let her mother accompany us in the carriage, to which she seemed to
have no objection.
Before the examining magistrate the same scene was gone through. The
young girl confessed she was guilty of the robbery, but refused to give
any further explanation. She only asked that there might be no delay in
passing sentence upon her. The mother declared her daughter was mad, and
denied all knowledge of the matter.
At the domiciliary visit to Mrs. Reierson's, no trace could be found of
the money.
I informed Mr. Frick, by letter, that the diamond was found, and of
Evelina's arrest and confession; at the same time, I asked him for the
present not to mention the matter to Mr. Howell, who was expected back
about this time.
Mr. Jurgens was declared by his relations incapable of looking after his
affairs, and the authorities decided to drop the proceedings against him
for having bought stolen goods.
It was discovered that the money for the diamond had been paid in
thousand kroner notes. Next day a person had changed five of these in
one of the banks in the town. But the cashier had not taken any
particular notice of the appearance of the person. He declared it might
possibly be Frederiksen the actor, but he could not say anything
definitely about it.
No trace of the remaining notes could be discovered.
*CHAPTER IX*
*THE PHOTOGRAPH*
The next morning, as I was sitting in my office, writing a note to Mr.
Howell--it was on the day he was expected back--to request the favour of
an interview with him, the constable came in with a visiting card. A
gentleman desired to speak to me. I read:--
[Illustration: Visiting card of Mr. Reginald Howell]
"Ask him to step in."
Mr. Howell entered and shook my hand in his free-and-easy English
manner.
"Glad to see you."
"Welcome back again."
He had quickly mastered Norwegian, and we always talked together in that
language.
"I was just writing a note to you, Mr. Howell, to request the favour of
an interview with you; you have forestalled me, perhaps for the same
purpose."
"I--suppose so," answered the Englishman, hesitating. "I should like to
say a few words to you in confidence, with regard to the robbery at Mr.
Frick's."
He looked round as if to assure himself that we were alone.
"You can speak freely: we are alone; I was wishing to ask you a few
questions about this same matter. You were, of course, in the house on
the day, right up to seven o'clock."
"Quite right; but tell me, Mr. Monk, shall I be called as a witness in
this case?"
"When the case comes before the court, there is every probability that
you will be called to give testimony."
"But am I bound to appear and answer?"
"Yes, you are! I hope you have no objection."
There was something in the young man's manner which caused me to pay the
greatest attention to his words and behaviour.
"But can the matter come before the court before you have found the
thief?"
"As soon as we have got sufficient evidence against some person, that
person will be charged and brought before the court."
"But before this happens it is not necessary for me to reply to any
questions about the affair?"
"When the police, who are conducting the inquiries into the matter, ask
you, you should certainly answer. To refuse to answer would be
considered somewhat strange, and might even lead to unpleasantnesses for
you."
"Many thanks for your information," answered Mr. Howell; he had got up
and was walking restlessly up and down the room. "It is not pleasant
for a man to contribute to the ruin of some wretched creature, but
perhaps it is impossible to avoid it."
From the words which bad been exchanged between us, I felt sure the
young Englishman did not know of Evelina's arrest. As you remember, I
had requested old Frick and Sigrid not to speak to him about the affair.
I could also see that my answers to the questions he put to me had not
told him anything which he did not know before; he was not altogether so
ignorant about the matter. He must have put these questions to me as a
feint, for some purpose or another. I was almost certain that he knew
something of importance to the discovery of the robbery.
I decided at once to inform him of Evelina's arrest but not of her
confession. It would, indeed, be strange if he did not betray how far
the knowledge he had of the matter did not point in the same direction.
"Besides," I continued, "you need not be afraid that your evidence will
be of such fatal significance. We have already got the diamond back, and
the guilty party arrested. It is Evelina, Miss Frick's maid.
Circumstantial evidence is so strong that a confession is unnecessary."
"Well," said Mr. Howell, quietly, "I can just as well tell you now what
I know, as later on. It was on the afternoon when the diamond
disappeared, after the old crank, Jurgens, had dined at Villa Ballarat.
Soon after we had had some coffee in the museum I went up to my room and
loaded some cartridges, for I was going to Osterdal for some shooting,
you know."
"Yes; I know what took place in the house that afternoon. Please go
on."
"Well, when I was ready with the cartridges, I went down into the garden
to smoke a cigar. The other people had gone to their rooms, I suppose,
for I did not see any of them. As I went by the museum it seemed to me
that the door wasn't shut, and when I touched it it slid right up. You
know it is a large iron door, but so well balanced and oiled that it
moves quite noiselessly. Well, I glanced into the museum, and there I
saw a lady standing before the cupboard on the opposite side of the
room, with her back toward me. With one hand she held up the iron lid,
and in the other she had an article which she seemed to have just taken
from the case, and which she was examining. It did not occur to me to
think it was anybody but Miss Frick; I thought I recognized the light
spring jacket with dark braid."
I looked up suddenly and met Mr. Howell's gaze; his eyes did not impress
me pleasantly, and it appeared to me that their expression was dark and
cunning.
"Continue," I said hurriedly, and, I believe, rather roughly.
"Well, you know, Mr. Monk, that I am very fond of photography, and that
I always go about with a little snap-shot camera. You know it, of
course,--we have often had fun at Villa Ballarat photographing people
when they least expected it!"