“In short, my dear fellow,” said Majendie in a low voice, puffing slightly as a result of his exertions in plodding through the snow, “you believed me to be one of them. No, no—don’t apologise. It was a natural surmise. Ah—now I appreciate the force of your observation, that the Princess was unaware of the irony of choosing me, in connection with the sale. Dear me! Then you also thought that I’d—what’s the word?—double-crossed my associates, that I’d concealed my summons to Bright’s Row and privately profited to their loss. But I must positively insist, my dear fellow, that I neither bought nor stole it from the Princess. I had intended to correct you in that, was on the point of doing so, you may remember, when events began to crowd upon us—confound! This snow is damned difficult going. Treacherous. I wonder if I might avail myself of your arm—ah, thank you! No, sir, the Princess gave it to me. To be precise, she offered me the choice of what I best liked from the whole collection. I confess I was staggered. I mean to say, what if I’d picked the emerald necklace? I should have had a fortune drop in to my hand without so much as lifting a finger. However, my dear boy, when you reach my age no doubt you’ll feel as I do—what, after all, is money? No, it was the collector’s piece, as they say, which took my eye. Oh, there were many such, but this was outstanding—‘the star of the collection’, as you expressed it with quite remarkable aptness. I didn’t hesitate.”

Majendie paused. “The others are drawing rather far ahead of us. Shall we close up? Miss Cole, blessed girl! What energy! What a pace!”

They plodded a little faster.

“Why did she offer?” said Brett. “Was it by way of being—”

“A tip,” said Majendie with startling relish. “Commission, at its highest evaluation. Nearer the mark would be the tradesman’s Christmas box. The servant’s reward. Oh, I was under no illusions—am not, perhaps I should say—as to my status. I took it, dear boy, I took it. And when you called the other evening with news of the robbery, I regret—no I don’t why should I?—I admit that my first reaction was one of relief, that I’d taken away my reward and had it in safe keeping.”

“That’s an admission,” murmured Brett, “but no news. It showed on your face as plain as the nose in it.”

“Dear me!” Majendie sounded perturbed.

“And what about Common Law and the Common Man?” pursued Brett. “I suppose that was consulted to discover what legal title you had to a plain gift.”