ming face.

Staff bowed, confirming the word. "It is a very serious charge these
days," he said soberly. "I'd advise you to think twice before you make
any overt move."

"But if I deny attempting to smuggle the necklace? If I insist that it
was stolen from me aboard the Autocratic--stolen by this Mr. Ismay and
this Searle woman--?"

"Miss Searle did not steal your necklace. If she had intended anything
of the sort, she wouldn't have telephoned me about it last night."

"Nevertheless, she has gone away with it, arm-in-arm with a notorious
thief, hasn't she?"

"We're not yet positive what she has done. For my part, I am confident
she will communicate with us and return the necklace with the least
possible delay."

"Nevertheless, I shall set the police after her!" Alison insisted
obstinately.

"Again I advise you--"

"But I shall deny the smuggling, base my charge on--"

"One moment," Staff interposed firmly. "You forget me. I'm afraid I can
adduce considerable evidence to prove that you not only attempted to
smuggle, but as a matter of fact did."

"And you would do that--to me?" snapped the actress.

"I mean that Miss Searle shall have every chance to prove her
innocence," he returned in an even and unyielding voice.

"Why? What's your interest in her?"

"Simple justice," he said--and knew his answer to be evasive and
unconvincing.

"As a matter of fact," said Alison, rising in her anger, "you've fallen
in love with the girl!"

Staff held her gaze in silence.

"You're in love with her," insisted the actress--"in love with this
common thief and confidence-woman!"

Staff nodded gently. "Perhaps," said he, "you're right. I hadn't thought
of it that way before.... But, if you doubt my motive in advising you to
go slow, consult somebody else--somebody you feel you can trust: Max,
for instance, or your attorney. Meanwhile, I'd ask Mrs. Ilkington to be
discreet, if I were you."

Saluting them ceremoniously, he turned and left the hotel, deeply
dejected, profoundly bewildered and ... wondering whether or not Alison
in her rage had uncovered a secret unsuspected even by himself, to whom
it should have been most intimate.

XII

WON'T YOU WALK INTO MY PARLOUR?

Slipping quickly into the room through an opening hardly wide enough to
admit his spare, small body, the man as quickly shut and locked the door
and pocketed the key. This much accomplished, he swung on his heel and,
without further movem