Then, with a firmness which showed that they were determined, Hamilton and Murie conducted Flockart to a small upstairs room, where Hill and the gardener, with the assistance of Stewart, who happened to have come into the kitchen, mounted guard over him.

His position, once the honoured guest at Glencardine, was the most ignominious conceivable.  But Sir Henry sat in gratification that at least he had got back those documents and saved the reputation of his friend Volkonski, as well as that of his co-partners.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

“THAT MAN’S VOICE!”

Stokes the chauffeur had driven Murie and Hamilton in the car down to the village, where the last-named, after a conversation with the police inspector, went to the “Strathavon Arms,” together with two constables who happened to be off duty, in plain clothes.

They found Krail sitting in the bar, calmly smoking, awaiting a message from his accomplice.

Upon Hamilton’s recognition he was, after a brief argument, arrested on the charge of theft from Glencardine, placed in the car between the two stalwart Scotch policemen, and conveyed in triumph to the castle, much, of course, against his will.  He demanded to be taken straight to the police station; but as Sir Henry had ordered him to be brought to Glencardine, and as Sir Henry was a magistrate, the inspector was bound to obey his orders.

The man’s cruel, colourless eyes seemed to contract closer as he sat in the car with his enemy Hamilton facing him.  He had never dreamed that they would ever meet again; but, now they had, he saw that the game was up.  There was no hope of escape.  He was being taken to meet Sir Henry Heyburn, the very last man in all the world he wished to face.  His sallow countenance was drawn, his lips were thin and bloodless, and upon his cheeks were two red spots which showed that he was now in a deadly terror.

Gabrielle, who had been weeping at the knees of her father, heard the whirr of the car coming up the drive; and, springing to the window, witnessed the arrival of the party.

A moment later, Krail, between the two constables, and with the local inspector standing respectfully at the rear, stood in the big, long library into which the blind man was led by his daughter.

When all had assembled, Sir Henry, in a clear, distinct voice, said, “I have had you arrested and brought here in order to charge you with stealing certain documents from my safe yonder, which you opened by means of a duplicate key.  Your accomplice Flockart has given evidence against you; therefore, to deny it is quite needless.”

“Whatever he has said to you is lies,” the foreigner replied, his accent being the more pronounced in his excitement.  “I know nothing about it.”

“If you deny that,” exclaimed Hamilton quickly, “you will perhaps also deny that it was you who secretly poisoned Miss Bryant in the Pontarme Forest, even though I myself saw you at the spot; and, further, that a witness has been found who actually saw you substitute the wine-bottles.  You intended to kill me!”