, the house-party was thrown into a state of great
concern by the amazing announcement that Mrs. Bainbridge had lost her
jewels--the unique string of precious stones which had once belonged
to the late Sultan Abdul Hamid! Mrs. Bainbridge's maid discovered the
loss when her mistress went to dress for dinner.

She declared that on the previous evening she had placed them out upon
a little polished table set against the heavy red-plush curtains and
close to the dressing-table. She believed that her mistress had worn
them upon her corsage on the Sunday night, and that on retiring she
had locked them in her jewel-box. On the contrary, Mrs. Bainbridge did
not wear them, a fact to which everyone testified. The millionaire's
wife had left the Sultan's famous jewels upon the little polished
table when she descended for dinner on Sunday night, and naturally
concluded that her maid--who had been with her over twelve
years--would see them and place them in safety.

Suspicion instantly fell upon Charles Otley. Old Mr. Bainbridge was,
of course, furious, whereupon Lord Teesdale took it upon himself to go
at once to London to see Otley.

This he did, and when that afternoon Sanford showed his lordship
unexpectedly into the room, the young man stood aghast at the news.

"Tell me, Otley--if you know nothing of this affair--why, then, did
you leave Hawstead so suddenly?" he demanded.

"Because I had business here in town," was his reply. Instantly across
his mind flashed the recollection of the incident of the fleeting
figure which he believed to be that of an Oriental. He related to his
late host the exact facts. But Lord Teesdale listened quite
unimpressed. As a matter of fact, he felt, in his own mind, that the
young fellow was the thief.

The story of the Chinaman was far too fantastic for his old-fashioned
mind. He had heard of the Chinese, the opium traffic and suchlike
things, and he saw in Otley's statement a distinct attempt to mislead
him.

The police were not called in because Mr. Bainbridge did not desire to
bring the Teesdales' house-party into the newspapers, and, moreover,
both he and his wife were confident that young Otley was the thief.

Peggy hearing her lover denounced so openly, was naturally full of
indignation, though she hardly dared show it.

Sir Polworth and his wife and daughter returned to London as early as
possible, for the spirits of all the guests had fallen in consequence
of Mrs. Bainbridge's l