business together.

The Duke had not greeted me on my entrance, and he seemed to be asleep
in his chair. But at the sound of the electric bell, which announced
the opening of the safe, he turned sharply round.

"Is that you, Ducaine?"

"Yes, your Grace," I answered.

"What are you doing there?"

"I have brought up the first batch of copy, sir," I answered.

"You have sealed it properly?"

"With Lord Chelsford's seal, sir," I told him.

He turned round in his chair sharply.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Lord Chelsford gave me an old signet ring before he left, sir," I said,
"with a very peculiar design. I wear it attached by a chain to an iron
bracelet round my arm."

"Let me see it," the Duke ordered.

I took off my coat, and baring my arm, showed him the ring hanging by a
few inches of strong chain from the bracelet. He examined the design
curiously.

"How do you detach it?" he asked.

"I cannot detach it, sir," I answered. "The bracelet has a Bramah lock,
and Lord Chelsford has the key. He used to wear it many years ago when
he was Queen's messenger."

The Duke examined the ring long and searchingly. Then he looked from it
into my face.

"You mean to say that you cannot take that off?"

"A locksmith might, sir. I certainly could not."

The Duke shrugged his shoulders.

"Chelsford's methods seem to me to savour a little of _opera bouffe_,"
he remarked drily. "For my own part I believe that these marvellous
documents would be perfectly safe in the unlocked drawer of my desk. I
do not believe any of these stories which come from Paris about copies
of our work being in existence. I do not wish you to be careless, of
course, but don't overdo your precautions. This place is scarcely so
much a nest of conspirators as faddists like Chelsford and Ray would
have us believe."

"I am glad to hear that you think so, sir," I answered. "Our
precautions do seem a little elaborate, but it is quite certain that the
Winchester papers were disturbed."

"I do not choose to believe it, Ducaine," the Duke said irritably.
"Kindly remember that!"

"Very good, sir," I answered. "There is nothing else you wish to say to
me?"

"There is something else," the Duke answered coldly. "I understand that
the police yesterday, on a sworn affidavit, were granted a search
warrant to examine your premises for stolen property. What the devil is
the meaning of this?"

"I think, sir," I answered, "that the stolen property was