“What do you mean?” asked Holmes.

“There is a persistent story in the family that Samuel Tollington, who later became the third Viscount Latchmere and was the one that brought the diamond back from India, had in fact murdered his uncle, Sir George Tollington, in order to get his hands on it.”

“Is there any evidence for that?”

“Not directly, but there is an affidavit, sworn in 1803 by one James Forrest, a former officer of the East India Company, that the diamond was purchased at Fort St George, Madras, not by Samuel Tollington, but by his uncle, who disappeared overboard in mysterious circumstances during the voyage back to England. The Tollington family tree is a complex one, and I will not trouble you with the details, but suffice it to say that I am a direct descendant of Sir George Tollington.”

“Has this document ever been made public?”

“No. My Grandfather apparently considered doing so, but was advised by a legal expert that in the absence of any other corroborative evidence, it would carry no weight, and would simply be denounced by the viscount as a pack of lies.”

“That is probably true,” said Holmes. “I can understand your feeling somewhat bitter at the whole business, Miss Norman, but there is more to life than diamonds. Besides, possession of the pendant does not seem to have brought the viscounts much good fortune or happiness.” He appeared about to say more when there came a ring at the doorbell. A moment later Mrs Hudson announced that the Rajah of Banniphur had arrived. Holmes made a quick gesture to me and, perceiving his meaning, I at once stuffed the pendant into my pocket.

The man who entered our room was somewhat below medium height, with a trim athletic appearance. His dark skin and very black hair made a striking contrast with the landlady’s pale face and hair. He stopped when he saw Miss Norman, an expression of surprise and confusion on his keen, intelligent features.

“Excuse me, but have I arrived at an inconvenient moment?” he asked. “I was not aware that you had another visitor.”

“Not at all,” returned Holmes in a cheery tone. “We were just discussing the case and related matters. Pray, take a seat, my dear sir!”

I offered him my chair by the fire, which he took, and brought up another chair for myself.

“One moment,” said Holmes. “This gathering calls for a pot of tea! I’ll just catch Mrs Hudson!”

“It is indeed a fortunate coincidence that we should meet in this way!” said the rajah to Miss Norman as we waited for Holmes to return. “I had been very much hoping to speak to you again, but did not know how best to approach you. I was very struck by some of the suggestions you made on Saturday evening. I have an appointment with the Prime Minister on the ninth, and would very much like to discuss your ideas further before seeing him. You seem to have a better understanding of the needs of education than anyone else I have spoken to.”

“You flatter me, Rajah!”

“Not at all, madam! And, please, call me Saju! I wonder, would you do me the honour of taking luncheon with me at Claridge’s tomorrow, when we can discuss these matters further?”

“I should be delighted,” replied Miss Norman.

“Now!” said Holmes, hurrying back into the room and rubbing his hands together. “The tea will be here in a minute!”

“Have you been able to make any progress in the case?” the rajah asked him.

“Indeed I have!”

“Thank Heavens for that! I rather feared it might prove a more complicated or delicate matter than it at first appeared. That is why I have come to see you.”

“What did you have in mind?” asked Holmes, a note of curiosity in his voice.

“May I speak frankly? Yes? Very well, then – but you must not repeat what I say.” He shot a nervous glance at Miss Norman. “Excuse my speaking so boldly of your relatives, madam, but there seems to me something seriously amiss at Latchmere Hall. Viscount Latchmere is not the boy I remembered from school, and – to speak frankly – I do not imagine I will visit him again. The household is not a very happy one. The viscountess acts strangely and is clearly unhappy. I did wonder if she herself had not perhaps done something with the pendant, Mr Holmes.”

Holmes chuckled. “That was also one of my first thoughts,” said he. “However, I am glad to say it is not the case.”

“You know where the pendant is?”

“Yes, it is at this moment in the possession of a handler of stolen goods.”

“You are certain?”

“Yes. I know he has it, and he knows that I know. I am confident of recovering it and returning it to Viscount Latchmere tomorrow.”

“Thank Heavens! Then we no longer need worry about it. And the topaz ring?”

“Ah!” said Holmes. “That is a rather different matter. It was not taken with the pendant. In fact, I don’t believe it was stolen at all.”

“I think that Lady Latchmere believes she has simply misplaced it,” interjected Miss Norman.

An odd silence fell on the room then, and the rajah shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

“You think,” said Holmes at length, addressing the Rajah of Banniphur, “that Lady Latchmere has given the topaz ring to someone, but you do not wish to be disloyal to your old school friend by spreading unpleasant gossip.”

“You are reading my mind precisely,” responded the rajah.

“Do you know why Mr James Ellison called at Latchmere Hall on Saturday?” asked Holmes after a moment.

“I may be mistaken, as he was very guarded in his remarks,” said the rajah, “but my impression was that Mr Ellison had wished to borrow some money from Viscount Latchmere, but the latter had refused.”

“You believe, then,” said Holmes, “that Viscountess Latchmere, unbeknown to her husband, has lent Mr Ellison the ring to use as security in arranging a loan elsewhere?”

The rajah hesitated. “Yes, I do,” he said at length. “Lady Latchmere was – how shall I put it – very taken with Mr Ellison. That was clear for anyone to see.”

“I had the same thought,” said Miss Norman. “She took him to see the autumn flowers at the other end of the garden, and they were out of earshot for a very long time. I did wonder what they were finding to talk about for so long.”

“He is a very engaging man,” said the rajah, “but—” He broke off, as if ordering his thoughts. “There is an old saying, where I come from,” he continued at length: “‘The bee makes honey for himself’. The meaning is that however much we may enjoy his honey, this is of no interest or importance to the bee. He makes the honey not for our benefit, but for his own.”

“I did not have the pleasure of meeting Mr Ellison,” said Holmes, “but I am prepared to accept your perception on the point, for your conclusions are broadly in agreement with my own. I have some experience of that type myself: the most charming man I ever met ended up destroying the lives of almost everyone who had ever had any dealings with him. Let us hope it is not so at Latchmere Hall, although the signs are not propitious.”

Mrs Hudson brought in a tray of tea and biscuits then, and our conversation moved on to other topics. When our visitors had left, I took the Latchmere Pendant from my pocket and held it up by the chain. As it revolved slowly, flashing and glinting as it caught the light from our lamps, I pondered how such a small thing could have been the cause of so much trouble over the years. Holmes refilled his pipe, and sat for a long time by the fire, staring into the flickering flames with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“It is a complex world we live in, Watson,” said he at length, “in which causes and effects are often interwoven, like a tapestry, and cannot very easily be unpicked. Miss Norman would never have taken the pendant had Lady Latchmere not left her room in the way that she did. Lady Latchmere would not have left her room and gone to her secret meeting with Mr Ellison at the library window had she not already felt estranged to some degree from her husband. So it could be argued that the theft of the pendant is a direct consequence of the state of the viscount’s marriage.”