dy Glanedale entered, and the three men rose.

"I am sorry to interrupt you," she said coldly, "but Sir Roger has
just telephoned and wishes to speak to Mr. Glanedale."

"I fear we shall have to keep Sir Roger waiting," said Malcolm Sage,
walking over to the door and closing it.

Lady Glanedale looked at him in surprise.

"I do not understand," she began.

"You will immediately," said Malcolm Sage quietly. "We were just
discussing the robbery." He slightly stressed the word "robbery."

"Really----" began Lady Glanedale.

"Mr. Glanedale was sitting at his window smoking," continued Malcolm
Sage evenly. "He cannot remember ever having done such a thing
before. I suggested that something unusual had attracted his
attention, and that he was waiting to see what would follow. I was
just about to tell him what had attracted his attention when you
entered, Lady Glanedale."

Glanedale looked across at his step-mother and then at Malcolm Sage.
His misery was obvious.

"Last night, soon after twelve," continued Malcolm Sage, "Mr.
Glanedale happened to look out of his window and was surprised to
see a figure moving along towards the left. It was not the figure of
a man with a handkerchief tied across his face as a mask; but a
woman. He watched. He saw it pause beneath the second window of your
bedroom, Lady Glanedale, not the one by which the burglar entered.
Then it stooped down."

Malcolm Sage's fingers seemed to be tracing each movement of the
mysterious figure upon the surface of the table. Lady Glanedale
gazed at his long, shapely hands as if hypnotised.

"Presently," he continued, "it returned to the first window, where
it was occupied for some minutes. Mr. Glanedale could not see this;
but the figure was engaged in making footprints and marking the
sides of the water-pipe with a shoe or boot as high up as it could
reach. It----"

"How dare you make such an accusation!" cried Lady Glanedale, making
an effort to rise; but she sank back again in her chair, her face
plaster-white.

"I have made no accusation," said Malcolm Sage quietly. "I am
telling what Mr. Glanedale saw."

A hunted look sprang to Lady Glanedale's eyes. She tore her eyes
from those magnetic fingers and gazed about her wildly as if
meditating flight. Her throat seemed as if made of leather.

"Would you be prepared to deny all this in the witness-box under
oath, Mr. Glanedale?" enquired Malcolm Sage.

Glanedale looked at him with unseeing e