some trouble to find out who changed the stones."

With that he threw both the bits of blue into a drawer, and the
contents of the cup into the fire. A great flame flew up the chimney,
and, as if struck at the sight of it, he stood gazing for a moment
after it had vanished.

When he turned, the Count was gone, as he had expected, and Sepia stood
with eyes full of anger and fear. Her face was set and colorless, and
strange to look upon.

"Very odd--ain't it?" said Mr. Redmain, and, opening the door of his
dressing-room, called out:

"Miss Marston!"

When he turned, Sepia too was gone.

I would not have my reader take Sepia for an accomplice in the robbery.
Even Mr. Redmain did not believe that: she was much too prudent! His
idea was, that she had been wearing the ring--Hesper did not mind what
she wore of hers--and that (I need not give his conjecture in detail),
with or without her knowledge, the fellow had got hold of it and
carried it away, then brought it back, treating the thing as a joke,
when she was only too glad to restore it to the jewel-case, hoping the
loss of it would then pass for an oversight on the part of Hesper. If
he was right in this theory of the affair, then the Count had certainly
a hold upon her, and she dared not or would not expose him! He had
before discovered that, about the time when the ring disappeared, the
Count had had losses, and was supposed unable to meet them, but had
suddenly showed himself again "flush of money," and from that time had
had an extraordinary run of luck.

When he went out of the door of Mr. Redmain's study, he vanished from
the house and from London. Turning the first corner he came to, and the
next and the next, he stepped into a mews, the court of which seemed
empty, and slipped behind the gate. He wore a new hat, and was clean
shaved except his upper lip. Presently a man came out of the mews in a
Scotch cap and a full beard.

What had become of him Mr. Redmain did not care. He had no desire to
punish him. It was enough he had found him out, proved his suspicion
correct, and obtained evidence against Sepia. He did not at once make
up his mind how he would act on this last; while he lived, it did not
matter so much; and he had besides a certain pleasure in watching his
victim. But Hesper, free, rich, and beautiful, and far from wise, with
Sepia for counselor, was not an idea to be contemplated with
equanimity. Still he shrank from the outcry and scandal of