ragrant heads.

"I----" began Gladys Norman, then she stopped suddenly, arrested by
a slight sound behind her. She span round on her heel. Malcolm Sage
stood in the doorway, with Thompson and William Johnson a few feet
behind him.

Slowly and deliberately he looked round the room; then his eyes
rested on Lady Dene.

"How do you do, Lady Dene," he said quietly, extending his hand.

For a moment she was conscious of an unaccustomed sensation of fear.

"You're not cross?" she interrogated, looking up at him quizzically,
her head a little on one side. "You see, it's the Bureau's birthday,
and----" She stopped suddenly.

Malcolm Sage had dropped her hand and walked over to his table.
Picking up the ring he examined it intently, then turned to Lady
Dene, interrogation in his eyes.

"It's from my husband and me," she said simply. "You have such
lovely hands, and--and we should like you to wear it."

Without a word he removed the ring from the case and put it on the
third finger of his right hand, which he then extended to Lady Dene,
who took it with a little laugh of happiness.

"You're not really cross," she said, looking up at him a little
anxiously.

"To me they stand for so much, Lady Dene," he said gravely, "that I
am not even speculating as to their probable effect upon the faith
of my clients."

And Malcolm Sage smiled.

It was that smile Gladys Norman saw as she closed the door behind
her, and which Thompson resolutely refused to believe.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MALCOLM SAGE, DETECTIVE***

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