ou for your kind
assistance, and I ask your forgiveness," she said. "I owe you many,
many thanks and I am endeavouring to express them. But as this is
merely a little family affair I am sure you will understand."

It was a polite dismissal. Narkom pivoted his little fat body on his
heel, and prepared to take it. Cleek didn't.

"Your pardon, but the Ladder of Light can never be regarded as a
family affair in _any_ English household whatsoever," he said,
blandly. "I can give you its exact history if you wish it. It is
a necklace said to have once been the property of the Queen of
Sheba and worn by her at the court of King Solomon. It is made up
of twelve magnificent steel-white diamonds, cut semi-square, and
each weighing twenty-eight and one half carats. They are joined
together by slender gold links fitting into minute holes pierced
through the edge of each stone. It is valued at one million pounds
sterling and is the property of the Ranee of Jhang, who prizes it
above all other of her marvellous and priceless jewels. She is not a
pleasant old lady to cross, the Ranee. She would be a shrieking
devil if anything were to happen to that necklace, your ladyship."

She had been slowly shrinking from him as the history of the Ladder
of Light proceeded; now she leaned back against her husband, full
of surprise and despairing terror, and stared and stared in a silence
that was only broken by little fluttering breaths of alarm.

"It is uncanny!" she managed to say at last. "You know of that? Of
the necklace? You know even me?--us?--and yet I have not uncovered
my face nor given you my name. Are you then gifted with clairvoyance,
Mr.--Mr.----"

"Cleek," he gave back, making her a polite bow. "Cleek is the name,
Lady Leake. Cleek of Scotland Yard."

"That man? Dear God! that amazing man?" she cried, her whole face
lighting up, her drooping figure springing erect, revitalized.

"At your ladyship's service," he replied. "We are out this
morning--Superintendent Narkom and I--in quest of what is probably
the most skilful and audacious pair of jewel thieves in the
world--just the one particular pair in all the universe to whom a
loot so valuable as the Ladder of Light would offer the strongest
kind of an appeal. So, if by any chance, something has occurred
which threatens the safety of that amazing necklace--and you and Sir
Mawson are in a position to know the facts----Come! Take me into
your confidence, and--perhaps! Who know