cement, which was
welcome, at least to Mr. Belknap, and pale, silent, subdued, Constance
motioned him to precede her to the dining room.

"I'm sure to be in a situation," mused the girl with a rueful grimace.
"If it's only a _tete-a-tete_ breakfast with a detective."

CHAPTER VIII.

ONE DETECTIVE TOO MANY.

"Aunt Honor," said Miss Wardour, sweeping unceremoniously into her
aunt's dressing room, "you really must come to my relief."

Mrs. Aliston seated in a big dressing chair, with a tempting breakfast
tray drawn close beside her, looked up serene and comfortable, and said,
after setting down her porcelain chocolate cup with great care.

"Yes!" with the rising inflection.

"I'm exhausted, bothered, bored," continued the young lady, flinging
herself down upon the nearest ottoman. "I wish my old diamonds had never
had an existence. I wish Grandmama Wardour had had better sense."

"Have a cup of chocolate," suggested Mrs. Aliston.

"I won't," snapped Constance, belligerently. "I have breakfasted if you
please; auntie," lowering her voice to a tone of mock mystery, "we have
got another detective in the house."

"So Nelly tells me," reaching out for another roll.

"And, he has breakfasted with me."

Mrs. Aliston laid down the roll, turned for a moment to gaze at her
niece; and, reading in that fair upturned face, the fact that its owner
was in a state of mutiny against the proprieties and all things else
that might come in opposition to her will, she took up her roll and
buttered it carefully as she said:

"Well! that's quite like you. What sort of a man is he?"

"Splendid," with a shrug of the shoulders, "smooth as oil, polished as
ivory; a Chesterfield in ill fitting clothes."

"And, a detective?"

"Well, why not? Somehow he has picked up all the arts and graces of a
gentleman."

"Really! Not much like the other one then."

"Not in the least. The other is eccentric, explosive, amusing. This one
is like a lawyer; very non-committal, not at all inclined to tell all he
knows."

"Oh! have you told him about the chloroform?"

"Yes; he has the bottle."

"Well, what did _he_ say?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing!"

"Not a word."

"Goodness gracious! and you breakfasted with him?"

"Yes; and he has spent half an hour or more in the drawing room. I have
told him all I had to tell, and he is now prowling about my dressing
room."

"But what does he think about this affair?"

"I don't know;" indiffe