rns," said Jack. "We have been able to trace him in London and also
the woman who presented the cheque. We know his movements from the time
he left Nice by aeroplane for Paris to the time he returned to Nice. The
people who changed the money for him will swear to his identity."

If he expected to startle her he was disappointed. She raised her
eyebrows.

"I can't believe it is possible. Mordon was such an honest man," she
said. "We trusted him implicitly, and never once did he betray our
trust. Now, Mr. Glover," she said coolly, "might I suggest that an
interview with a gentleman in my bedroom is not calculated to increase
my servants' respect for me? Will you go downstairs and wait until I
come?"

"You'll not attempt to leave this house?" he said, and she laughed.

"Really, you're going on like one of those infallible detectives one
reads about in the popular magazines," she said a little contemptuously.
"You have no authority whatever to keep me from leaving this house and
nobody knows that better than you. But you needn't be afraid. Sit on the
stairs if you like until I come down."

When he had gone she rang the bell for her maid and handed her an
envelope.

"I shall be in the saloon, talking to Mr. Glover," she said in a low
voice. "I want you to bring this in and say that you found it in the
hall."

"Yes, miss," said the woman.

Jean proceeded leisurely to her toilet. In the struggle her dress had
been torn, and she changed it for a pale green silk gown, and Jack,
pacing in the hall below, was on the point of coming up to discover if
she had made her escape, when she sailed serenely down the stairs.

"I should like to know one thing, Mr. Glover," she said as she went into
the saloon. "What do you intend doing? What is your immediate plan? Are
you going to spirit Lydia away from us? Of course, I know you're in love
with her and all that sort of thing."

His face went pink.

"I am not in love with Mrs. Meredith," he lied.

"Don't be silly," she said practically, "of course you're in love with
her."

"My first job is to get that money back, and you're going to help me,"
he said.

"Of course I'm going to help you," she agreed. "If Mordon has been such
a scoundrel, he must suffer the consequence. I'm sure that you are too
clever to have made any mistake. Poor Mordon. I wonder what made him do
it, because he is such a good friend of Lydia's, and seriously, Mr.
Glover, I do think Lydia is being indiscre