superintendent for the evident kindness with which he was treating me. The tears rose at once into my eyes. "Mr. Harbourne," I cried passionately, "you are very good, very generous. But you quite mistake the whole position. The story I told you was true, every word of it. I bought that gold Wulfric from a ploughman at Lichfield, and it is not absolutely identical with the Museum specimen which I dropped upon the floor. It is closer clipped round the edges, and it has a distinct dent upon the obverse side, just below the W of Wulfric." The superintendent paused a second, and scanned my face very closely. "Have you a knife or a file in your pocket?" he asked in a much sterner and more official tone. "No," I replied, "neither—neither." "You are sure?" "Certain." "Shall I search you myself, or shall I give you in custody?"[Pg 82] [Pg 82] "Search me yourself," I answered confidently. He put his hand quietly into my left-hand breast pocket, and to my utter horror and dismay drew forth, what I had up to that moment utterly forgotten, a pair of folding pocket nail-scissors, in a leather case, of course with a little file on either side. My heart stood still within me. "That is quite sufficient, Mr. Tait," the superintendent went on, severely. "Had you alleged that the Museum coin was smaller than your own imaginary one you might have been able to put in the facts as good evidence. But I see the exact contrary is the case. You have stooped to a disgraceful and unworthy subterfuge. This base deception aggravates your guilt. You have deliberately defaced a valuable specimen in order if possible to destroy its identity." What could I say in return? I stammered and hesitated. "Mr. Harbourne," I cried piteously, "the circumstances seem to look terribly against me.
Prev.
Back
Top