and respectable. Go into the restaurant and order tea.
While you're there, that man you saw will come into the room, and you'll
hand him the packet. That's all."

"It sounds too easy," Clo said.

"I hope it will be easy. I'll bring you a latch-key when I come down
with the parcel. Let yourself in when you get home, and go straight to
your room. I don't want you to fib, but try to make it seem to Sister as
if we'd just come back. She'll think it strange if she knows I've sent
you out on an errand by yourself."

"She shan't know," the girl promised.

"You _are_ a comfort! You see, I told Roger I'd be at home by four, and
I couldn't be, till long after if I took the parcel myself. I shall only
just be in time as it is. Here we are at the door! Now I'll rush. In
five minutes I hope to be with you again. Oh, if only Sister Lake isn't
at the window!"

The five minutes passed, and Beverley didn't return. Clo watched the
silver-gilt clock under the vase of violets. Ten minutes; fifteen
minutes; no Mrs. Sands! The girl was wondering whether she ought to wait
indefinitely, or seek her friend to see what had happened when Beverley
appeared. She was breathless with haste.

"Here, take this, and do just as I told you to do," she said, thrusting
into Clo's hands a bag, not a parcel. "Inside you'll find what I spoke
of, and money to pay for your tea. I had to hide the parcel. I can't
stop to explain more now." She turned to the chauffeur, and hastily
ordered him to drive to the Westmorland Hotel. Miss Riley had to meet a
friend there; Robbins must wait till she was ready to come home.

Only as the car slowed down in front of the third-rate hotel did Clo
touch the hasp of the gray suede bag. It was not locked, and save for a
crumpled dollar bill, its sole contents was a large, unaddressed
envelope fastened with three gold seals. On each of these seals was the
same elaborate monogram, which Clo did not try to make out; but it was
not composed of Beverley Sands' initials. Evidently the parcel had been
crammed into the first handy receptacle, for it was all but too big to
go in, and Clo found it difficult to extract without damaging the seals.
Leaving the bag on the seat, she hid the envelope under the smart, white
cloth cape which went with her new frock.

The restaurant of the hotel opened off the hall. At that hour, a little
after four o'clock, there was no one in the room but a waiter. Afternoon
tea was evidently not a daily