en their hair without noticing anything," said
the detective firmly. "Not to mention other items."

"But without anybody else noticing it either?" Eve pursued her own train
of thought.

"Somebody did notice it," said the detective, writing on a small piece
of paper.

"Who?"

"The person who took the necklace."

"Well, of course I know that," Eve spoke impatiently. "But who can it
be? I feel sure it's one of the new servants or one of the hired
waiters."

"In our business, madam, we usually suspect servants and waiters last."
Then turning round very suddenly he demanded: "Who's that at the door?"

Eve, startled, moved towards the door, and in the same instant the
detective put a small piece of paper into Mr. Prohack's lap, and Mi.
Prohack read on the paper:

"_Should like see you alone_." The detective picked up the paper again.
Mr. Prohack laughed joyously within himself.

"There's nobody at the door," said Eve. "How you frightened me!"

"Marian," said Mr. Prohack, fully inspired. "Take my keys off there,
will you, and go to my study and unlock the top right-hand drawer of the
big desk. You'll find a blue paper at the top at the back. Bring it to
me. I don't know which is the right key, but you'll soon see."

And when Eve, eager with her important mission, had departed, Mr.
Prohack continued to the detective:

"Pretty good that, eh, for an improvisation? The key of that drawer
isn't on that ring at all. And even if she does manage to open the
drawer there's no blue paper in there at all. She'll be quite some
time."

The detective stared at Mr. Prohack in a way to reduce his facile
self-satisfaction.

"What I wish to know from you, sir, personally, is whether you want this
affair to be hushed up, or not."

"Hushed up?" repeated Mr. Prohack, to whom the singular suggestion
opened out new and sinister avenues of speculation. "Why hushed up?"

"Most of the cases we deal with have to be hushed up sooner or later,"
answered the detective. "I only wanted to know where I was."

"How interesting your work must be," observed Mr. Prohack, with quick
sympathetic enthusiasm. "I expect you love it. How did you get into it?
Did you serve an apprenticeship? I've often wondered about you private
detectives. It's a marvellous life."

"I got into it through meeting a man in the Piccadilly Tube. As for
liking it, I shouldn't like any work."

"But some people love their work."

"So I've heard," said the detective