Except this--that they were all three about to clear out when the
enterprising Miss Slade turned up and told Schmall she'd got the
Nastirsevitch jewels. That was a stiff proposition for them. But they
were equal to it. For you see Miss Slade let him know that she was open
to do a deal--for sixty thousand pounds! How were they to get sixty
thousand pounds? Ah!--now came a confession from Merrifield which has
already--for I've told him of it--made Mr. Delkin stare. Delkin, it
appears, keeps a very big banking account here in London--so big, that
his bankers think nothing of his drawing what we should call enormous
cash cheques. Now Merrifield--you see what a clean breast he's
made--admitted to me that he was an expert forger--so he calmly forged a
cheque of Delkin's, drew sixty thousand in notes--and they had them on
them--at least Merrifield had--when we took all three a few hours ago.
Nice people, eh!"

There was a silence of much significance for a few minutes; then
Allerdyke got up from his chair with a growl.

"I'd have given a good deal if that fellow Schmall had saved his neck for
the gallows!" he muttered. "He's cheated me!"

"It's my impression," said the chief, "that if Miss Slade hadn't been so
smart, Schmall would have cheated his two accomplices. He had what he
believed to be the parcel containing the Nastirsevitch jewels in his
possession, and he also had Miss Lennard's pearls locked up in his safe.
We got those this afternoon, on searching his premises; Miss Slade gave
us the real Nastirsevitch jewels from her bank. Here they are--both lots,
in these parcels. And if you two gentlemen will go through the formality
of signing receipts for them, you, Mr. Fullaway, can take her parcel to
the Princess, and you, Mr. Allerdyke, can carry hers to Miss Lennard.