you had given the
jewels to Horbury."

The Earl set the casket down on Gabriel's desk and looked a little
uncertain--and uncomfortable. Gabriel indicated the chair which he had
politely moved forward on his visitor's entrance.

"Won't your lordship sit down?" he said.

The Earl accepted the invitation and looked from one man to the other. A
sudden impression crossed his mind--never, he thought, were there two
men from whom it was so difficult to get a word as these
Chestermarkes--who had such a queer habit of staring in silence at one!

"The--the housekeeper appears to have run away," he said haltingly.
"That's--somewhat queer, isn't it?"

"We understand Mrs. Carswell has left the house--and the town," replied
Gabriel. "As to it's being queer--well, all this is queer!"

"And--all of a piece!" remarked Joseph.

The Earl was glad that the junior partner made that remark, and he
turned to him.

"I understand you saw her--and spoke to her--just before she left, this
morning?" he said hesitatingly. "Did she--er--give you the impression of
being--shall we say, uneasy?"

"I certainly saw her--and spoke to her," asserted Joseph. "I went to
scold her. I had given her orders that no one was to be allowed access
to certain rooms in the house, and that we were not to be bothered by
callers. She fetched me out to see Miss Fosdyke--I went to scold her for
that. We had our reasons for not permitting access to those rooms. They
have, of course, been frustrated."

"But at any rate some good's come of it," observed the Earl, pointing
to his casket. "This has been found. And--in the housekeeper's bedroom.
Hidden! And--she's gone. What do you think of it, gentlemen?"

Gabriel spread his hands and shook his head. But Joseph answered
readily.

"I should think," he replied, "that's she's gone to meet Horbury."

The Earl started, glancing keenly from one partner to the other.

"Then--you still think that Horbury is guilty of--of dishonesty!" he
exclaimed. "Really, I--dear me, such an absolutely upright, honourable
man----"

"Surface!" said Joseph quietly. "Surface! On the surface, my lord."

The Earl's face flushed a little with palpable displeasure, and he
turned from the junior to the senior partner.

"Very good of your lordship," said Gabriel, with the faintest suggestion
of a smile. "But--a man's honesty is bounded by his necessity. We, of
course, are better acquainted with our late manager's qualities--now."

"You h