"
Merritt looked blankly at the speaker. Evidently this was strange
ground to him.
"I don't know anything about that," he said. "What sort of a cigar-case?"
"Gun-metal set with diamonds. The same case or a similar one to that
purchased by Van Sneck from Walen's in Brighton. Come, rack your brains a
bit. Did you ever see anything of Van Sneck about the time of his
accident? You know where he is?"
"Yes. He's in the County Hospital at Brighton, He was found in Mr.
Steel's house nearly dead. It's coming back to me now. A gun-metal
cigar-case set in diamonds. That would be a dull thing with sparkling
stones all over it. Of course! Why, I saw it in Van Sneck's hands the day
he was assaulted. I recollect asking him where he got it from, and he
said that it was a present from Henson. He was going off to meet Henson
then by the corner of Brunswick Square."
"Did you see Van Sneck again that day?"
"Later on in the afternoon. We went into the Continental together. Van
Sneck had been drinking."
"You did not see the cigar-case again?"
"No. Van Sneck gave me a cigar which he took from the common sort of case
that they give away with seven cigars for a shilling.
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