nce of guard over the inmost feelings. At the
discovery that the jewel-case was empty Miss Heredith's dignity dropped
from her like a falling garment, and she stared at the velvet interior
with half-open mouth and an air of consternation on her face.

"Oh!" she cried again, finding voice after a moment's tense silence.
"The necklace is gone."

"By heaven, this is amazing," muttered Musard.

"I thought you said it was safe?" The speaker was Phil. He did not look
at his aunt as he uttered this reproach, but gazed at the empty box with
glowing eyes under drawn brows.

"Phil, Phil, I thought it was safe--oh, I thought it was safe!" cried
Miss Heredith almost hysterically. "Where is it gone? Who could have
taken it? The box was locked when we saw it upstairs, and the day after
the funeral I found Violet's keys at the back of the drawer where she
always kept them."

"The box may have been locked when you found it, but it seems equally
certain that it was also empty," said Colwyn. He alone of the excited
group was cool enough to estimate the awkward possibilities of this
discovery. "How was it that the detectives did not open the jewel-case
on the night of the murder, so as to make quite sure that the necklace
had not been stolen?"

"I took the necklace downstairs and locked it away before the police
arrived," said Miss Heredith tearfully. "When Detective Caldew came he
asked me if anything was missing from Violet's bedroom, and I told him
no. Of course, I did not dream of anything like this. Oh, how I wish now
that I had opened the jewel-case at the time. But I never thought. I
tried the case and found it locked, so I thought it had not been
touched."

"Really, I am more to blame than Miss Heredith," interposed Musard
hurriedly. "I saw the jewel-case first, and I should have thought of
having it opened."

"It is a pity you did not inform the detectives about the case," said
Colwyn. His face was grave as he realized how completely the police had
been led astray in their original investigations by the misunderstanding
which had concealed an important fact. "But first let us make sure that
the jewel-case was empty when it was brought downstairs. How many people
have access to this safe, Miss Heredith? Is there more than one key?"

"There is only one key," she replied. "And that has been in my
possession since the night of the murder."

"That disposes of that possibility, then. What about Mrs. Heredith's
bunch of key