nil_. With the collapse of
the flimsy structure of prejudice and suspicion in which Manvers had
sought to trap Iff, the interest of all concerned seemed to simmer off
into apathy. Nobody did anything helpful, offered any useful suggestion
or brought to light anything illuminating. Staff couldn't understand it,
for the life of him....

There was, to be sure, a deal more talk in the captain's cabin--talk in
which the purser took little or no part. As a matter of fact, Manvers
kept far in the background and betrayed every indication of a desire to
crawl under the table and be a good dog. The captain had his say,
however, and in the end (since he was rather emphatic about it) his way.

He earnestly desired that the matter should be kept quiet; it would do
no good, he argued, to noise it about amongst the passengers; the news
would only excite them and possibly (in some obscure and undesignated
fashion) impede official investigation. He would, of course, spare no
pains to fathom the mystery; drastic measures would be taken to secure
the detection of the culprit and the restitution of the necklace to its
rightful owner. The ship would be minutely, if quietly, searched; not a
member of the crew, from captain to stoker, would be spared, nor any
passenger against whom there might develop the least cause for
suspicion. Detectives would meet the ship at New York and co-operate
with the customs officials in a most minute investigation of the
passengers' effects. Everything possible would be done--trust the
captain! In the meantime, he requested all present to regard the case as
confidential.

Iff concurred, somewhat gravely, somewhat diffidently. He was disposed
to make no secret of the fact that his presence on board was directly
due to the missing necklace. He had been set to watch Miss Landis, to
see that she didn't smuggle the thing into the United States. He hoped
she wouldn't take offense of this: such was his business; he had
received his orders and had no choice but to obey them. (And, so far as
was discernible, Miss Landis did not resent his espionage; but she
seemed interested and, Staff fancied, considerably diverted.) Mr. Iff
could promise Miss Landis that he would leave no stone unturned in his
private inquiry; and his work, likewise, would be considerably
facilitated if the affair were kept quiet. He ventured to second the
captain's motion.

Miss Landis offered no objection; Staff and Manvers volunteered to
maint