Mr. White nodded slowly.

"It is a lie. It is an outrageous lie," cried the girl, turning flaming
eyes upon the stout managing director of Punsonby's. "You know it's a
lie, Mr. White! Thousands of pounds have passed through my hands and I
have never--oh, it's cruel."

"If you will only keep calm for a little while, miss," said the man, who
was not unused to such outbreaks, "I will explain that at the moment of
your dismissal there was no evidence against you."

"No definite knowledge of your offence," murmured Mr. White.

"And now?" demanded the girl.

"Now we have information, miss, to the effect that three registered
letters, containing in all the sum of L63----"

"Fourteen and sevenpence," murmured Mr. White.

"Sixty-three pounds odd," said the detective, "which were abstracted by
you yesterday are concealed in this flat."

"In the left-hand bottom drawer of your bureau," murmured Mr. White.
"That is the definite knowledge which has come to us--it is a great
pity."

The girl stared from one to the other.

"Three registered envelopes," she said incredulously; "in this flat?"

"In the bottom drawer of your bureau," mumbled Mr. White, who stood
throughout the interview with his eyes closed, his hands clasped in
front of him, a picture of a man performing a most painful act of duty.

"I have a warrant----" began the detective.

"You need no warrant," said the girl quietly, "you are at liberty to
search this flat or bring a woman to search me. I have nothing in these
rooms which I am ashamed that you should see."

The detective turned to his companion.

"Fred," he said, "just have a look over that writing-bureau. Is it
locked, miss?"

She had closed and locked the secretaire and she handed the man the key.
The detective who had done the speaking passed into the bedroom, and the
girl heard him pulling out the drawers. She did not move from where she
stood confronting her late employer, still preserving his attitude of
somnolent detachment.

"Mr. White," she asked quietly, "I have a right to know who accused me
of stealing from your firm."

He made no reply.

"Even a criminal has a right to that, you know," she said, recovering
some of her poise. "I suppose that you have been missing things for
quite a long while--people always miss things for quite a long while
before the thief is discovered, according to the Sunday papers."

"I do not read newspapers published on the Lord's Day," said Mr. White