She clasped her hands, raised them to her face and began to weep. Knight gave an inarticulate cry and went to her.

‘Never mind, my darling,’ he said. ‘Never mind. We must rise above. We must forget.’

Mr Conducis cleared his throat. Destiny threw him a glance that was madly eloquent of some ineffable generalization. He avoided it.

‘The motive,’ Alleyn said, ‘was, of course, theft. Harry Grove knew a great deal about Mrs Constantia Guzman. He knew that if the treasure was stolen she would give a fortune under the counter for it.’

Knight, who was kissing Destiny’s hands, groaned slightly and shuddered.

‘But I think he knew more about her than that,’ Alleyn went on. ‘She was a guest of Mr Conducis’s six years ago, in the Kalliope when the yacht was wrecked off Cape St Vincent. At that time, six years ago, Grove was going through a bad patch and taking any jobs he could get. Lorry driving. Waiter in a strip-joint. And steward.’

He turned to Mr Conducis. ‘I was about to ask you yesterday when Grove himself interrupted us: was he a steward on board the Kalliope?’

Nobody looked at Mr Conducis.

‘Yes,’ he said.

‘How did that come about?’

‘He brought himself to my notice. His father was a distant and unsatisfactory connection of mine. I considered this to be no reason for employing him but he satisfied me of his usefulness.’

‘And he sold you the glove and documents?’

‘Yes.’

‘For thirty pounds?’

‘I have already said so.’

Marcus Knight, whose manner towards Mr Conducis had been an extraordinary blend of hauteur and embarrassment now said loudly: ‘I don’t believe it.’

‘You don’t believe what, Mr Knight?’ Alleyn asked.

‘That he was aboard that – vessel.’

‘You were scarcely there long enough to notice,’ Mr Conducis said coldly.

‘I was there long enough – ’ Marcus began on a high note and dried. ‘But no matter,’ he said. ‘No matter.’

Alleyn stood up and so did everybody else except Mr Conducis.

‘I won’t keep you any longer,’ Alleyn said. ‘I would like to say how sorry I am that this has happened and how much I hope your play and your theatre will ride out the storm. I’m sure they will. I’m taking an unorthodox line when I tell you that Grove has said he will not contest the accusations of assault. He will, he states, admit to taking the treasure, overturning the bronze dolphin and struggling with the boy. He will plead that these were instinctive, selfprotective actions committed without intention to kill. This defence, if adhered to, will mean a short trial with little evidence being called and I think, not a great deal of publicity.’

Little Morris said: ‘Why’s he taking that line? Why isn’t he going all out for an acquittal?’

‘I asked him that. He said he was suddenly sick of the whole thing. And he added,’ Alleyn said with a curious twist in his voice, ‘that he thought it would work out better that way for William Shakespeare, Mr Peregrine Jay and The Dolphin.’