"A great pity," replied Pratt, who was making a thorough examination of the man, and now seemed much more at ease than when he had entered. "I hope the thief has gone away, however. I have in my house several thousand pounds' worth of gems, and I don't want him to come after them."
"How do you know it was a man?" asked German, quietly.
"I don't know," responded the American, with a stare and a laugh. "I only speak as others do. For my part, I believe that there were two people concerned in the robbery--a man and a boy."
"Certainly a boy," replied Tempest, looking up. "No one but a small boy could have forced himself through that window."
"Then you don't think, Mr Tempest, that a woman can have had anything to do with the matter?"
Tempest stared. The idea seemed ridiculous. "I do not think a woman would commit so wicked an act," he said stiffly.
"Oh, as to that," interposed Pratt, "women are as wicked as men, and worse when the fit takes them. But I see what Mr Inspector means. He has heard of Pearl Darry's devotion to the cup."
"It was not Pearl!" cried Mr Tempest, indignantly. "I am sure of that. Why, the poor child regarded that cup as something too holy to be touched--as it was," added the vicar, reverently.
"Well," said German, after a pause, "I have been talking to your villagers about her. It seems that she was always haunting the chapel and looking at the cup. She might have been seized with a desire to have it for her very own. She is insane, I believe, and insane people have very mad ideas. Also she is small and could easily have forced herself through the lepers' window, of which she would know the position."
Pratt looked with contempt at the officer. He was even more stupid than he had given him credit for. "You can rest easy, Mr Inspector," he said. "It was not Pearl who stole my cup. She has been ill in bed for the last few days and unable to move, as Mrs Jeal and Dr James will tell you."
"I must make certain of that myself," said the inspector. "Will you come with me, Mr Pratt?"
"Not I," replied the American. "I think you are going on a wild-goose chase. The best thing for you to do, Mr Inspector, is to see if any vagabonds have been in the village lately."
"I have already done so," replied German, coolly; "and the villagers assure me that no stranger has been seen hereabouts for some days. However, I am willing to give this girl the benefit of the doubt. But I must see her."