tive aware of certain
things, yet so placed that he could have no handling of the affair,
except from a distance, and through another person. He pretended a
disinterested desire to serve Ruthven Smith, and signed himself, "A
Well Wisher"; but the nervous recipient of the advice felt that his
correspondent was quite likely to be of the class opposed to detectives.

What if there were some scheme for a robbery on a vast scale at Valley
House, and this letter were part of the scheme? What if the band of
thieves supposed to be "working" lately in London should try to make him
a cat's paw in bringing off their big haul?

This was a terrifying idea, and more feasible than the one suggested by
the anonymous writer, that Mrs. Nelson Smith should--oh, certainly it
seemed the wildest nonsense!

Still, there was his duty to the Van Vrecks. They must be considered
ahead of everything! So Ruthven Smith, nervous as a rabbit who has lost
its warren, travelled down to Devonshire on Saturday afternoon, invited
to stay at Valley House till Tuesday.

It was as Knight had said: the dull, deaf man was as completely out of
the picture in that house party as an owl among peacocks; for he was an
inarticulate person and could not talk interestingly even on his own
subject, jewels. His idea of conversation with women was a discussion of
the weather, contrasting that of England with that of America, or perhaps
touching upon politics. He was afraid of questions about jewels lest he
should allow himself to be pumped, and the information he might
inadvertently give away be somehow "used."

But he was by birth and education a gentleman; and his relationship to
Archdeacon Smith, whom everybody liked, was a passport to people's
kindness.

Duchesses and countesses were of no particular interest to Ruthven Smith,
but their adornments were fascinating. At Valley House one duchess and
several countesses were assembled for the Easter party, and they were
women whose jewels were famous. Most of these were family heirlooms, but
their present owners had had the things reset, and no queen of fairyland
or musical comedy could have owned more becoming or exquisitely designed
tiaras, crowns, necklaces, earrings, dog-collars, brooches, bracelets,
and rings than these great ladies.

For this reason the ladies themselves were interesting to Ruthven Smith,
and he might have been equally so to them if he would have told them
picturesquely all he knew about the