ad an irritated sense that, if
he got near enough, he might find himself inside the mystic ring. She
turned to him with a gracious and dramatic courtesy. She even put a hand
on his arm, and he realised, with more exasperation, that he was
supporting her while she talked. The crowd cheered, and, it appeared,
they were cheering him.

"What are you saying?" he asked her, in an irascible undertone. "Talk
English for ten minutes. Play fair."

But she only smiled on him the more sympathetically, and the crowd
cheered them both anew. Jeff stuck by, that night. He stayed with her
until, earlier than usual because she had tired her voice, she told the
man to drive home.

"I am taking you with me to see Esther," she mentioned unconcernedly, as
they went.

"No, you're not," said Jeff. "I'm not going into that house."

"Very well," said Madame Beattie. "Then tell him to stop here a minute,
while we talk."

Jeff hesitated, having no desire to talk, and she herself gave the
order.

"Poor Esther!" said Jeff, when the chauffeur had absented himself to a
sufficient distance, and, according to Madame Beattie's direction, was
walking up and down. "Isn't it enough for you to pester her without
bringing me into it? Why are you so hard on her?"

"I've been quite patient," said Madame Beattie, "with both of you. I've
sat down and waited for you to make up your minds what is going to be
done about my necklace. You're doing nothing. Esther's doing nothing.
The little imp that took it out of Esther's bag is doing nothing. I've
got to be paid, among you. If I am not paid, the little dirty man is
going to have the whole story to publish: how Esther took the necklace,
years ago, how the little imp took it, and how you said you took it, to
save her."

"I have told Weedon Moore," said Jeff succinctly, "in one form or
another that I'll break his neck if he touches the dirty job."

"You have?" said Madame Beattie. She breathed a dramatic breath,
whether of outraged pride or for calculated effect he could not tell.
"Jeff, I can assure you if the little man refuses to do it--and I doubt
whether he will--I'll have it set up myself in leaflets, and I'll go
through the town distributing them from this car. Jeff, I must have
money. I must have it."

He sat back immovable, arms folded, eyes on the distance, and frowningly
thought. What use to blame her who acted after her kind and was no more
to be stirred by appeals than a wild creature red-cl