Perceiving my chance of doing the thief a good turn, I assented readily.  It was my fixed intention to recognize no one.

I followed the policeman into a high-walled yard.

Variously attired, six men were drawn up in line.

“Do you see anybody you know?” repeated the inspector.

I did. Standing third from the left, with a seraphic look on his face, was Berry.

For a moment I stood spellbound.  Then I began to laugh uncontrollably.

“Go on, you fool,” said Berry.  “Indicate the felon.  I admit it’s one up to you, but I’ll get my own back.  You wait.  Why, there’s Kernobby.”  The terrier slipped from under my arm and ran to where he stood.  “Good dog.  But I mustn’t play with you till the gentleman in blue boxcloth says so.  ’Sides, I’m a giddy criminal, I am.”  He addressed my companion.  “Will you dismiss the parade, inspector?  Or shall we do a little troop drill?”

I turned to the bewildered officer.

“It’s all a mistake, inspector.  This is my brother-in-law.  He must have borrowed the case without my knowledge.  For goodness’ sake, get these men away and we’ll explain things.”

The inspector hesitated, but Nobby’s frantic efforts to lick the suspect’s face settled the matter.  Gruffly he acted upon my suggestion, and the little squad broke up.

In the charge-room we satisfied him of the sincerity of our statements and exonerated him from blame.  To do the police justice, Berry was dressed more or less in accordance with my hazy description of the “thief,” and it was my dispatch-case.  Courtesies were exchanged, I signed a receipt for my property, and Berry, his effects restored, gave a poor devil, who was brought in to be charged with begging, enough to console the latter for his detention on Christmas Day.

A moment later I was introducing him to Miss Doiran.

“Thief and brother-in-law in one,” I said.  “A terrible combination.”

Berry took off his hat and put a hand to his head.

“Whose reign is it?” he said dazedly.  “When I entered the gaol it was King George.”

* * * * *

With his back to the fire in Daphne’s bedroom, Berry proceeded to clear the air.

“If any one of you four had a tenth of the instinct of a village idiot, it would have occurred to those diseased fungi which you call your minds that I had said I should want Boy’s dispatch-case.  But let that pass.

“I was walking through Flail according to plan, and following the tram-lines according to the drivelling advice given me by an outside porter with a suggestive nose.  Need I say that before I had covered a hundred yards the lines branched?  I was still praying for the soul of my informant, when I observed that a large blue constable, who was apparently lining the street, was staring at me as at an apparition.  Courteously I gave him ‘Good day.’  In return he handed me a look which I shall try to forget, and asked me how I came by the dispatch-case.