," she said, "that a police-whistle can be heard at that
distance."

She raised her police-whistle just as he raised his revolver; the two
hands went up together.

"Really, Miss Markham, you ought not to force me into such a totally
false position. My feelings towards you are those of a chivalrous
gentleman; it absolutely repels me to do anything whatever which would
appear in the nature of a threat. You have put the police-whistle down?
That's right. Now then we can talk about this necklace. It would be
pleasanter if we sat down; we will go into the dining-room, shall we? I
say the dining-room rather than the drawing-room, because I think you
might possibly like to ask me to take a whisky-and-soda, and the
decanters are there."

Miss Markham followed him into the dining-room; she did not ask him to
take a whisky-and-soda. Notwithstanding this, he took it.

"Tell me one thing," she said, "how did you know about this necklace?"

"That is just it; servants will talk. They are an eternal nuisance,
aren't they? If their employer has anything which is believed to be
valuable, they like to brag about it a little. You know, one can
understand it; they enjoy reflected glory. It is exactly twelve months
ago since I learned in casual conversation with a lady of inferior
station to myself--your housemaid, I believe--that you not only
possessed a pearl necklace valued at L500, but that you always wore it."

"The jeweller told me that pearls should always be worn; they keep their
colour better that way."

"Yes," said the stranger, "they do give that advice; very useful advice
it is too."

"If there is nothing else that you want to take," said Miss Markham,
"perhaps you would not mind going."

"Certainly, my dear lady. I understand your point of view exactly. Here
we have an abominable intrusion at a late hour; my sex makes the
intrusion all the worse. When you are about to summon assistance, I
raise my revolver, and if you had not put the police-whistle down, I
should have been reluctantly compelled to shoot you dead. I then take
away from you, as I shall do presently, a pearl necklace, which you
value at L500, though I shall be quite satisfied if I get L120 for it
myself. Well, when you come to think of it, you must admit that you have
suffered nothing but a little inconvenience. The insurance company will
give you L500 to buy another necklace, and the one which I am about to
take away with me has no sentimental associat