elt that in making that speech he had departed a great
deal from his usual course of action, and I knew that he meant it.

"I am very much obliged to your Grace," I answered.

"I think," he continued, "that Lord Cheisford and in fact all the others
are inclined to accept you on my estimate. We all of us feel that we
are the victims of some unique and very marvellous piece of roguery on
the part of some one or other. I believe myself that we are on the eve
of a discovery."

"Thank Heaven!" I murmured.

"We shall only succeed in unravelling this mystery," the Duke continued
deliberately, "by very cautious and delicate manoeuvring. I have an
idea which I propose to carry out. But its success depends largely upon
you."

"Upon me?" I repeated, amazed.

"Exactly! Upon your common sense and judgment." The Duke paused to
listen for a moment. Then he continued, speaking very slowly, and
leaning over towards me--

"Lord Chelsford proposes for his own satisfaction to cross-examine you.
It occurs to me that you will probably tell him of your fancied
disturbance of those papers in the safe, and of your little adventure
with the Prince of Malors." I looked at him in surprise. "Have they not
all been told of this?" I asked. "No."

There was a moment's dead silence. I was a little staggered. The Duke
remained imperturbable.

"They have not been told," he repeated. "No one has been told. The
matter was one for my discretion, and I exercised it."

There seemed to be no remark which I could make, so I kept silence.

"We have discussed this matter before," the Duke said, "and my firm
conviction is that you were mistaken. That safe could only have been
opened by yourself, Ray, or myself. I think I am justified in saying
that neither of us did open it."

"Nevertheless that safe was opened," I objected. "Those were the very
papers, copies of which have found their way to Paris."

"Exactly," the Duke answered. "Only you must remember that every member
of the Board was sufficiently acquainted with their contents to have
sent those particulars to Paris, without opening the safe for a further
investigation of them. Any statement of your suspicion would only
result in attention being diverted from the proper quarters to members
of my household. I believe that even if you are right, even if those
papers were disturbed, it was done simply to throw dust in your eyes.
Do you follow me?"

"Yes, your Grace," I answered.

"Lord Chelsf