nd emeralds requisitioned for Miss Robinson's box
with its convenient date of 1669! All that had to be done was to
unstring the pearls and unset the stones, and they might be supposed to
date from one century as well as another.

Now have I made everything clear, I wonder, up to the time when the
_Lusitania_ went down and Pietro Stanislaws was reborn as Peter Storm?
Oh, but one thing I forgot! You remember I wrote about the Russian
Military Attache from Washington, who recognized Peter and was
mesmerically suppressed by him at New London? There was no great mystery
after all. They'd known each other in Russia, so you may imagine it was
a shock to the Prince, seeing his dead friend suddenly walk into the
hotel. That was a bad moment for Peter! He wanted to declare his
identity when the time came, not to have it given away; so he pounced on
the man and whispered, "Girl in the case. I'll explain." Which he did
later and in private.

Now we come back at last to Pat: "the girl in the case!" But you haven't
let yourself worry about her, have you, Mercedes?

Even I didn't worry much. From the moment she and Peter retired into my
boudoir to "talk things over," and Jack and I sat supplying details out
of our imagination, I knew that whatever happened all would be well. For
that I trusted Peter.

If Ed Caspian had fallen from his high estate through no fault of his
own, and could have posed as a martyr, Pat might have thought it her
duty to be loyal. Even so she could never have said, "I will," when
invited to take him for better or worse. As it was, Caspian could pose
as nothing but a _pig_! He had given himself away, all along the line.
And he was not to go pathetically out into the world alone as a pauper.
He would have more money than he'd ever dreamed of until after the
_Lusitania_ tragedy. He would at worst be able to fight with Senator
Collinge over the hand (and purse) of his dear old friend Mrs. Shuster,
if Larry escaped her! The only difficulties I foresaw concerned the
pawned engagement ring and Larry's debts to Lily. As to these I boldly
decided that if worst came to worst I would betray my trust and tell
Peter everything.

You will see, however, that my conscience was saved, and by Caspian.

Pat, of course, was petrified at seeing Peter Storm turn into Pietro
Stanislaws. She listened dumbly to Peter's indictment of Caspian; and
then, before she found time or words to speak, the little wretch turned
to snap at