idn't she come back?

Beverley had not even thrown a glance at the mirror. In her own room she
tore open the drawer where her handkerchiefs were kept in rose-scented
sachet cases. The largest of these cases she snatched, throwing the
contents back into the drawer. With fingers that shook, she ripped the
top of the padded silk cushion, and extracted a long envelope sealed
with three gold seals. She would hardly have remembered the Queen's
pearls had the rope not caught in the key of the drawer as she turned
hastily to go. Before she could save it, the string broke, and pearls
big as peas began falling like hailstones.

With a cry, she caught the broken ends of the rope together, dragged it
over her head and bundled it into the drawer among scattered
handkerchiefs. She did not even stop to close the drawer. As for the
fallen pearls--a dozen at least--there was no time to think of them, or
of what Roger would say when he heard of the accident.

Crushing on her hat, which still lay on the bed where Roger had thrown
it, she ran from the room, stuffing the envelope into her handbag. Luck
favoured her. She got out of the flat and into the lift without being
seen.

When five minutes had passed and Beverley was still away, Roger decided
to join her. He opened the bedroom door, and looked in. Something rolled
away from Roger's foot on the threshold. He stooped and picked the thing
up: it was an enormous pearl.

A shock of fear thrilled through him. He thought that news of his
purchase might already have reached the underworld. In these few
minutes, while he calmly waited for Beverley, she might have been
murdered. Things like that did happen. He stepped on a second pearl, and
saw that others lay on the pale rose carpet. He stood staring. At the
foot of the bed a tall screen had been placed to keep the light from
Beverley's eyes in the morning. What if behind it he should find her
lying?

As he braced himself to go and look, Beverley herself came into the
room. It seemed that she shrank at sight of him.

"I thought you'd been kidnapped or killed!" he gasped. "What's
happened?"

"N-n-nothing," she stammered. "It was only--we forgot about Clo--I had
to take her that money. I----" She broke off, seeing the pearl in
Roger's hand. "Oh, wasn't it dreadful that the rope snapped?" she
hurried on. "I wanted to get back to you quickly. I knew the pearls were
safe here. I just shut the door, and ran down."

"So I see," Roger said