s. May we are sitting down to
dinner," returned Holland promptly, and advanced to meet the prosperous
looking couple approaching.

"I'm afraid we are late," said the lady, "but can you blame us? Have you
heard? We have been telegraphing to Hillsborough all the afternoon to
find out what has gone."

"You are not late. My sister has not come down yet. I was just reading
about your robbery. Have you lost anything of value?"

"Oh, I suppose so," said Mrs. Vaughan cheerfully, sitting down and
beginning to draw off her gloves. "We had a Van Dyke etching, and some
enamels that have gone certainly, and Charlie feels awfully about his
wine."

"Yes," said Mr. Vaughan gloomily. "I tell you he is going to have a
happy time with that champagne. It is the best I ever tasted."

"Upon my word," said Geoffrey, "they are a nice lot of countrymen up
there. Four robberies and not so much as a clue."

"_You_ need not be afraid," said Mrs. Vaughan rather spitefully. "In
spite of all your treasures, I don't believe any thief would take the
trouble to climb to the top of your mountain."

Holland's selection of a distant hilltop for his large place pleased no
true Hillsboroughite. As an eligible bachelor he was inaccessible, and
as a property-holder he was too far away to increase the value of
Hillsborough real-estate by his wonderful lawns and gardens.

Mrs. Vaughan's irritation did not appear to disturb Geoffrey, for he
laughed very amiably, and replied that he could only hope that the thief
was as poor a pedestrian as she seemed to imagine as he should not like
to lose any of his things; and he added that in his opinion Vaughan
ought to be starting for Hillsborough at once.

"Pooh," said that gentleman, "I can't go with the market in this
condition,--would lose more than the whole house is worth."

"You would go duck-shooting in a minute," said Holland, "and this would
be a good deal better sport."

Mr. Vaughan ignored this remark. "The thing to do," he said, "is to
offer a reward, a big enough reward to attract some first-class
detective."

"All right," said Geoffrey readily, "I'll join you. Those other fellows
ought to be willing to put up a thousand apiece,--that will be five
thousand. Is that enough? We can have it in the papers to-morrow. What
shall I say? Five thousand dollars reward will be paid for information
leading to the conviction--and so on. I'll go and telephone now," and
with a promptness which surprised Mr. Va