st it," he answered placidly.

"I feel quite queer," said Eve, as she fingered the necklace, in the
car, when all formalities were accomplished and they had left the cave
of Aladdin.

"And well you may, my child," said Mr. Prohack. "The interest on the
price of that necklace would about pay the salary of a member of
Parliament or even of a professional cricketer. And remember that
whenever you wear the thing you are in danger of being waylaid, brutally
attacked, and robbed."

"I wish you wouldn't be silly," Eve murmured. "I do hope I shan't seem
self-conscious at the lunch."

"We haven't reached the lunch yet," Mr. Prohack replied. "We must go and
buy a safe first. There's no safe worth twopence in the house, and a
really safe safe is essential. And I want it to be clearly understood
that I shall keep the key of that safe. We aren't playing at necklaces
now. Life is earnest."

And when they had bought a safe and were once more in the car, he said,
examining her impartially: "After all, at a distance of four feet it
doesn't look nearly so grand as the one that's lying at Scotland Yard--I
gave thirty pounds for that one."

CHAPTER XXII

MR. PROHACK'S TRIUMPH

"And where is your charming daughter?" asked Mr. Softly Bishop so gently
of Eve, when he had greeted her, and quite incidentally Mr. Prohack, in
the entrance hall of the Grand Babylon Hotel. He was alone--no sign of
Miss Fancy.

"Sissie?" said Eve calmly. "I haven't the slightest idea."

"But I included her in my invitations--and Mr. Morfey too."

Mr. Prohack was taken aback, foreseeing the most troublesome
complications; and he glanced at Eve as if for guidance and support. He
was nearly ready to wish that after all Sissie had not gone and got
married secretly and prematurely. Eve, however, seemed quite
undisturbed, though she offered him neither guidance nor support.

"Surely," said Mr. Prohack hesitatingly, "surely you didn't mention
Sissie in your letter to me!"

"Naturally I didn't, my dear fellow," answered Mr. Bishop. "I wrote to
her separately, knowing the position taken up by the modern young lady.
And she telephoned me yesterday afternoon that she and Morfey would be
delighted to come."

"Then if you know so much about the modern young lady," said Eve, with
bright and perfect self-possession, "you wouldn't expect my daughter to
arrive with her parents, would you?"

Mr. Softly Bishop laughed.

"You're only putting off the evil m