“* To be sure,’ said the crook, ‘ I have seen you there. I am connected with Kennedy’s Bank.’ “ Hubbart, who, thanks to the stranger’s liberality, was by this time not so imma culately sober as he should have been, became more confidential than ever, and Howells pumped him dry. He learned that the Countess was going to the Embassy ball on Thursday night, and that Hubbart was to fetch the jewels that morning. It was a Monday evening when this conversation took place, so Howells resolved to be beforehand with him. Accordingly, arrayed in the nearest pos sible approach to the Aberdour livery, he drove up first thing on Thursday morning to Kennedy’s Bank, in a cab, as Hubbart would have done, asked for the manager, Mr Sedgwick, presented a letter written on paper identical with that which the Countess used, signed a receipt form, received the jewels, and drove off. From first to last he was as cool as a cucumber, for he had wonderful nerve, and there was no suspicion of anything wrong till Hub bart’s arrival. He made an excuse for dismissing the driver, and after dodging a bit, hired another cab, in which he drove to his Bloomsbury office. There he changed his clothes, forced open the jewel box, pocketed the diamonds, and, having re sumed his natural appearance, walked off calmly to the Cosmopolitan. As the person from whom he rented the office did not know where he stayed, he felt perfectly safe at the Cosmopolitan, and, professing to be somewhat unwell, kept his room for a couple of days. He considered it safer to do this than try to leave the country in too great a hurry. Besides, it gave him leisure to take the diamonds from their settings. At the end of that time he said he was going for a change of air to Devon shire. As a matter of fact, he went to Weymouth, from there to Jersey, where he boldly showed himself as a tourist, and finally he got over to Paris with the greatest ease.
