Pyne agrees to help and after a small amount of thought confronts Doctor Carver. The archaeologist admits that he took the pearl, wrapping it in a small piece of plasticine that he carries to take imprints from carvings. The comments made about the suggestiveness of people prompted him tell Carol that the jewel was loose and fix it back into place when, in fact, he was taking it from her. He was planning to use the enormous price the earring would fetch to finance an archaeological expedition but Pyne tells him his plan wouldn't have worked – the pearl is worthless as Blundell's boasting of his riches the previous night was bluff. His fortune has been badly affected in the slump.