He held out his hand to Derrick as he spoke; the two men exchanged grips
and looked into each other's eyes; and again Derrick was conscious of
that peculiar thrill which he had felt when he first touched Mr.
Clendon's hand.
"Thank you, sir," he said, quietly. "Will you please take care of Miss
Grant--Celia? I should like you to take her away now."
"Come, my dear," said Mr. Clendon; and looking over her shoulder till
Derrick had disappeared, Celia went with Mr. Clendon, her hand in his.
"Do you think you can tell me all you know about this terrible
business?" he said, when she had yielded to the relief of tears and was
calmer and more composed.
Celia told him all she knew, and Mr. Clendon listened with attention and
in silence.
"Of course, he is innocent," she wound up. "Oh, Mr. Clendon, I'm so glad
you've come; it is as if--as if you had been sent to me. A moment or two
ago I felt as--as I saw him taken away--that I was left alone in the
world; but I feel now that I have a friend----"
"I trust that you have, my child," he said. "Don't cry any more. Tears
cost so much; and I am convinced that you need not weep for fear of your
lover's safety. He has been wrongfully accused; I do not doubt that for
a moment."
"You don't; I know you don't! But why?" said Celia. "The jewel-case--I
know it was the jewel-case, because the bank has telegraphed to say that
poor Lord Sutcombe took it from the bank, and he must have brought it
here--it was in the safe, was stolen from it. And the Inspector said
that he had found it in Sydney's possession. That looks so black against
him. And yet--you are as convinced of his innocence as I am!"
"Yes," said Mr. Clendon, quietly, "I am convinced. I could not tell you
why; let us say that it is because your lover's face is not that of a
guilty man. Besides," he added, with the ghost of a smile, "a man does
not walk about a wood with a stolen jewel-case under his arm--if he
himself is the thief."
"Of course!" cried Celia, stopping short, her face lighting up. "No one
would be such a fool--least of all Sydney," she added, more to herself
than to him, "who is so clever."
"Exactly," said Mr. Clendon. "So you see, my child, you have nothing to
be alarmed about. Here is the Hall!" He looked up at the noble façade
with a curious expression in his face. "It is years since I have been
here," he added, musingly.