c room, there wasn't a trace of him anywhere.

CHAPTER XXIII

It was a full half hour later, and Sir Mawson and Lady Leake and Mr.
Maverick Narkom were in the throes of the most maddening suspense,
when the door of the music room flashed open and flashed shut again,
and Cleek stood before them once more--quite alone still, but with
that curious crooked smile which to Narkom stood for so much, looping
up the corner of his mouth and mutely foreshadowing the riddle's
spectacular end.

"Cleek, dear chap!" The superintendent's voice was sharp and thin
with excitement. "You've found out something, then?"

"I hope, Mr. Narkom, I have found out everything," he replied with
a marked emphasis on the word hope. "But as we are told when in doubt
or in difficulty to 'look above' for a way out, permit me to follow
that advice before proceeding any further with the subject."

Here he stepped to the centre of the room, twitched back his head,
and, with chin upslanted and eyes directed toward the ceiling, moved
slowly round in a narrow circle for a moment or two.

But of a sudden he came to a sharp standstill, rapped out a short,
queer little laugh, and, altering these mysterious tactics, looked
down and across the room at Sir Mawson Leake.

"I think the Ranee did not look to the security of those slim gold
links a day too soon, Sir Mawson," he said. "It is too much to ask
a man to risk his whole fortune on the tenacity of a bit of age-worn
wire as you have done, and if I were in your shoes I'd tell the
old girl's _major domo_ when he comes for the necklace, to get it
repaired somewhere else--and be dashed to him."

"Good! Wouldn't I, in a twinkling, if I could only lay hands on the
wretched thing again. But I haven't it, as you know."

"Quite true. But you are going to have it--presently. I know where
it is!"

"Mr. Cleek!"

"Gently, gently, my friends. Don't go quite off your heads with
excitement. I repeat, I know where it is. I have found it and----Mr.
Narkom! Look sharp! A chair for Lady Leake--she's tottering. Steady,
steady, your ladyship; it will only complicate matters to lose a
grip on yourself now; and you have kept up so brave a front all
through, it would be a pity to break down at the end."

"I am not breaking down. I am quite all right. Please go on, Mr.
Cleek--please do. I can stand anything better than this. Are you
sure you have found it? Are you _sure?_"

"Absolutely. I have had a nice little t