“Very good!” Sir James Norris straightened the horse’s head again and went on.  “Late yesterday afternoon, as my sister-in-law was changing her dress, she left her room for a moment to speak to my daughter in her room, almost adjoining.  She was gone no more than three minutes, or five at most, but on her return the brooch, which had been left on the table, had gone.  Now the window was shut fast, and had not been tampered with.  Of course the door was open, but so was my daughter’s, and anybody walking near must have been heard.  But the strangest circumstance, and one that almost makes me wonder whether I have been awake to-day or not, was that there lay a used match on the very spot, as nearly as possible, where the brooch had been—­and it was broad daylight!”

Hewitt rubbed his nose and looked thoughtfully before him.  “Um—­curious, certainly,” he said, “Anything else?”

“Nothing more than you shall see for yourself.  I have had the room locked and watched till you could examine it.  My sister-in-law had heard of your name, and suggested that you should be called in; so, of course, I did exactly as she wanted.  That she should have lost that brooch, of all things, in my house is most unfortunate; you see, there was some small difference about the thing between my late wife and her sister when their mother died and left it.  It’s almost worse than the Heaths’ bracelet business, and altogether I’m not pleased with things, I can assure you.  See what a position it is for me!  Here are three ladies, in the space of one year, robbed one after another in this mysterious fashion in my house, and I can’t find the thief!  It’s horrible!  People will be afraid to come near the place.  And I can do nothing!”

“Ah, well, we’ll see.  Perhaps we had better turn back now.  By-the-by, were you thinking of having any alterations or additions made to your house?”

“No.  What makes you ask?”

“I think you might at least consider the question of painting and decorating, Sir James—­or, say, putting up another coach-house, or something.  Because I should like to be (to the servants) the architect—­or the builder, if you please—­come to look around.  You haven’t told any of them about this business?”

“Not a word.  Nobody knows but my relatives and Lloyd.  I took every precaution myself, at once.  As to your little disguise, be the architect by all means, and do as you please.  If you can only find this thief and put an end to this horrible state of affairs, you’ll do me the greatest service I’ve ever asked for—­and as to your fee, I’ll gladly make it whatever is usual, and three hundred in addition.”

Martin Hewitt bowed.  “You’re very generous, Sir James, and you may be sure I’ll do what I can.  As a professional man, of course, a good fee always stimulates my interest, although this case of yours certainly seems interesting enough by itself.”

“Most extraordinary!  Don’t you think so?  Here are three persons, all ladies, all in my house, two even in the same room, each successively robbed of a piece of jewelry, each from a dressing-table, and a used match left behind in every case.  All in the most difficult—­one would say impossible—­circumstances for a thief, and yet there is no clue!”