it, for it would explain many things.

Besides, it would help to exonerate Knight. He was very chivalrous where
women were concerned, and he would have felt bound to protect his old
friend. At all events, he could not have given her up to justice, and
very likely she had been in debt and needed money. She had wonderful
clothes, and must be extravagant.

Yes, the more Annesley dwelt on the idea the more convinced she became
that Madalena de Santiago had stolen the blue diamond, and perhaps all
the other things on the _Monarchic_, while pretending to have a vision in
her crystal of the thief, and of the way the jewel had been smuggled off
the ship. Then the Countess had been angry with Knight, and had tried to
have him suspected, even of being mixed up in the theft--though that last
idea seemed too far-fetched.

"How hateful, how mean of her!" Annesley thought, ashamed because it was
so easy to believe bad things of the Countess, and to pile up one upon
another. "Probably she put it into Constance's head to suggest having Mr.
Ruthven Smith asked. And then she put it into his head to--to----"

The girl stopped short, appalled. _What_ had been put into the jewel
expert's head? What precisely had he come to Valley House to do?

"He has come to _find_ the blue diamond!" the answer flashed into her
brain.

Madalena de Santiago's eyes were as piercing as they were beautiful. She
might have noticed the fine gold chain which her "pal's" wife wore always
round her neck. She might have guessed that the ring with the blue
diamond was hidden at the end of the chain; yet she could not _know for
certain_, because Knight would never have told her that.

Therefore it followed that neither could Ruthven Smith know for certain.
He meant to find out, and if he did find out, Knight would be punished
far more severely than he deserved for buying a thing illegally come by.

"I will save him again," Annesley resolved.

But how? What might she expect to happen? And whatever it was, how could
she prevent it happening?

CHAPTER XVIII

THE STAR SAPPHIRE

Picture after picture grew and faded in her mind. She saw policemen
coming to the house; she saw Ruthven Smith demanding that she and
Knight be searched, and arrested if the diamond were found.

It might be difficult to prove that they had had nothing to do with the
theft, especially as Knight had been on board the _Monarchic_. He must
have travelled under his own name then,