it dawned
upon her. An unusually long description produced certain characteristics
of writing which she recognized.

"Hilda Glaum!" she said. "I wonder what this means!"

She examined the contents of the drawer again and some of them puzzled
her. Not the little stack of handkerchiefs, the folded collars and the
like. If Hilda Glaum was in the habit of visiting Deans Folly and used
this room it was natural that these things should be here. If this were
her bureau the little carton of nibs and the spare note book were to be
expected. It was the steel box which set her wondering. This she
discovered in the far corner of the drawer. If she could have imagined
anything so fantastic she might have believed that the box had been
specially made to hold the thing it contained and preserve it from the
dangers of fire. The lid, which closed with a spring catch, released by
the pressure of a tiny button, was perfectly fitted so that the box was
in all probability air-tight.

She opened it without difficulty. The sides were lined with what seemed
to be at first sight thick cardboard but which proved on closer
inspection to be asbestos. She opened it with a sense of eager
anticipation, but her face fell. Save for a tiny square blue envelope at
the bottom, the box was empty!

She lifted it in her hand to shake out the envelope and it was then that
the idea occurred to her that the box had been made for the envelope,
which refused to budge until she lifted one end with a hairpin.

It was unsealed, and she slipped in her finger and pulled out--a pawn
ticket!

She had an inclination to laugh which she checked. She examined the
ticket curiously. It announced the fact that Messrs. Rosenblaum Bros.,
of Commercial Road, London, had advanced ten shillings on a "Gents'
Silver Hunter Watch," and the pledge had been made in the name of van
Heerden!

She gazed at it bewildered. He was not a man who needed ten shillings or
ten dollars or ten pounds. Why should he pledge a watch and why having
pledged it should he keep the ticket with such care?

Oliva hesitated a moment, then slipped the ticket from its cover, put
back the envelope at the bottom of the box and closed the lid. She found
a hiding-place for the little square pasteboard before she returned the
box and portfolio to the drawer and locked it.

There was a tap at the door and hastily she replaced the key in her bag.

"Come in," she said.

She recognized the man who stood in