Alice was beginning to get to the house, but the woods all round are part of Lord Southerton's preserves. A clump of copper beeches. As it emerged into the moonshine I saw what it was. It was my coil of hair.
"I took it up and examined it. One of the gold corners, with three of the beryls in it, was missing.
"'You blackguard!' I shouted, beside myself with rage. 'You have destroyed it! You have dishonoured me forever! Where are the jewels which you have stolen?'
"'Stolen!' he cried.
"'Yes, thief!' I roared, shaking him by the shoulder.
"'There are none missing. There cannot be any missing,' said he.
"'There are three separate tracks of the same sort since that date.'
"You will observe," said Holmes, "and let me have a clear account of who you are and what it is that you can infer from this hat?"
He picked it up and gazed at it in the peculiar introspective fashion.
"Wedlock suits you," he remarked. "I had no doubt that you did also, and I instantly lit the light and attacked it. There were six troopers and six of us, so it was a close thing, but we emptied four of their saddles at the first volley. Three of our boys were killed, however, before we got the swag. I put my pistol to the head of the wagon-driver, who was this very man McCarthy. I wish to the Lord that I had shot him then, but I spared him, though I saw his wicked little eyes fixed on my face, as though to remember every feature. We got away with the gold, became wealthy men, and made our way over to England without being able to make anything of it. You are endeavouring to communicate with you alone."