Barry Pain

“ My landlords ostler's daughter was parlourmaid at Lady Bellasen's, and was waiting at the table that night. That was how my landlord knew. Mr Arthur Crowe had lost his temper and left the house, not returning until prayers were over. That had been his last visit, and no letters had been received from him since. Phrases that he had used were quoted to me. "Your own flesh and blood's not good enough for you now." "A11 right, I know when I'm not wanted." "Your pride will have a fall one of these days."
There, then, was the motive. The Bellasen cross was the very symbol of the Bellasen pride. ”

“ The landlord described him as a tall man, with a beaky nose, with a scar on his left cheek. I was asked to observe that Lady Bellasen had married right above her family. She had not actively quarrelled with any of them, but she did not care to be on intimate terms. It was hinted to me that Mr Arthur Crowe would have been extremely glad to have trotted her ladyship, his sister, all over Plymouth, and to have impressed his Dissenting friends. They had words about it on the night the cross was stolen. ”

“ His figure was rather remarkable, and I had no trouble in finding him again at Paddington Station, from whence he travelled by the underground to Baker Street So did I. On the platform at Baker Street he was fumbling with a cloak-room ticket which he drew with extreme care from his pocket-book. I went up to the street outside the station and waited. Presently Mr Crowe appeared, carrying a black morocco hand-bag, stamped in gold with his initials. He hailed a four-wheeler. ”

“ His conscience would tell him that he did not intend to reap any profit out of it himself if he kept it. It would be a valuable spiritual lesson to his sister. One day perhaps he would return it. The police theory was still that Davis had hidden the cross. They pointed out that this might have been done at some point beyond the plantation. No suspicion seems to have fallen on Mr Arthur Crowe at all. The only thing that remained for me to do now was to go to Plymouth and steal the cross. ”

“ I don't know where that cross is, and perhaps it's as well I don't. But if a man were to follow Davis as soon as 'e came out, which'll be in a month's time, and to keep on following of 'im, so as not to lose sight of 'im for about a year and a 'alf, I think that chap would be extremely likely to pick up them blooming emeralds."
"Have nothing to do with them, Gimbrell," I said sternly. "Put the thing out of your mind. Those emeralds are stolen property, and you are now an honest man." ”