g
mirror. Clo guessed, by the slight start Angel gave, that she must have
caught sight of his reflection. He turned and came back.

"If he asks to see the pearls!" was the thought in Clo's head. Her eyes
met Beverley's and read the same terror there.

Roger spoke to Miss Blackburne, pausing on the threshold.

"What do you think of the baubles?" he asked with elaborate
carelessness. "Are they above the average?"

The two girls held their breath. Would the pearl-stringer give the
situation away?

But Miss Blackburne, true to herself, was discretion incarnate.

"I've not seen enough of the pearls, yet, to form an opinion," she
replied, "but my impression is that they must be altogether
exceptional."

"I'm glad your impression is good," said Roger. He turned to his wife.
"I may not be back till late. Don't sit up for me. Good-night."

Beverley followed him into the hall.

"Roger!" she pleaded. "You're doing me a most horrible injustice. I
can't bear it!"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You can't help knowing," she said, "It's about Justin O'Reilly. You
think I----"

"Have I accused you of anything?" he challenged, brows raised, eyes
blank.

"No. But----"

"Your imagination seems to be even more lively than your conscience is
sensitive, my dear girl. What have you done, that I should accuse you?"

"I've done nothing, Roger, that you----"

"All right, then. Why borrow trouble? I must hurry, or I'll miss my
appointment. Good-night again. Sleep well!"

Roger left her without a backward glance. Beverley felt that she was
caught in the folds of a vast net.

What was it Clo had said, that day? "There was once a mouse who gnawed a
net----" Poor mouse, it had tried to-day to gnaw the net! It had gnawed
one small hole, but even before the prisoner could struggle to get free,
the hole had closed again. Still, the mouse was ready for another bout.
It was a brave, bold mouse--a subtle mouse! For some strange reason her
sole hope was in Clo.

During her absence the girl had searched the boudoir from end to end.
Her sharp eyes had not missed a cranny big enough to hide a pin, to say
nothing of a rope of pearls or a large envelope with five red seals.
Both the pearls and the envelope must have been stolen. Were there two
thieves, or only one?

With Roger's departure, and Beverley's return, the three women could
talk with freedom, especially after Mrs. Sands' announcement to the
butler that he would not be neede