utside, if we had one glimmer of
light in here. No, no, you'll have to stand the dark or quit. But you
shan't quit till you've told me what you saw in the room where the safe
is."

"The safe door opening." His voice trembled so that the other shook him
to steady his nerves. "Not opened, mind you, but opening. It was like
magic, and I stared so that she forgot her fears and forgot her
questions. Turning from me with a startled cry, she looked behind her,
and saw what I saw, and tried to push me out. 'I'll come, I'll come,'
she whispered. 'Leave me a minute and I'll come.'

"But I wasn't going to do that. 'The safe door is opened,' I cried. 'Did
you do it?' She didn't know what to say. I have never seen a woman in
such a state; then she whispered in awful agitation, 'Yes; I've been
given the combination by Mr. Stoughton. I'm duly following his orders.
But my father! What about my father? You frightened me so I forgot
that--' I waited, staring at her, but she didn't finish. She just
asked, 'My father? What has happened to him?' 'Nothing serious,' I
managed to say. I wished the old father was in ballyhack. But he'd
served his turn; I must say that he'd served his turn. 'A telephone
message,' I went on. 'He had had a nervous spell and wanted you. I said
that you could go home at noon.' She stood looking at me doubtfully;
then her eyes stole back to the safe. 'You will have to leave me here
for a few minutes,' she said. 'I have Mr. Stoughton's business to attend
to. He will not be pleased at my having given away his secret. He did
not wish it known who controlled his affairs in his absence, but now
that you do know, you will be doing the right thing to let me go on in
the way he has planned for me. His orders must be carried out.'

"She is very determined, and understands herself only too well, but I
am manager, and I paid her back in her own coin. 'That's all very well,'
said I, 'but what proof have I that you are telling me the truth? You
have opened the safe--you say you have the combination--but people
sometimes surprise a combination and open a safe from other interests
than those of their employer. You seem a good girl, but _you are a
girl_, and there are men here much more likely to be in Mr. Stoughton's
confidence than yourself. With that open safe before us I cannot leave
you here alone. What you take from it I must see, and if possible be
present at your negotiations. That I consider a manager's duty under the
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