little girl. And that's not so very
long ago. Now, Mr. Chestermarke, where is my uncle?"

"I do not know where your uncle is," replied Gabriel suddenly, and
losing his starchiness. "I wish to Heaven I did!"

"None of us know where Mr. John Horbury is," repeated Joseph, in his
suavest tones. "We all wish to Heaven we did!"

The girl turned and gave the junior partner a look which took in every
inch of him. It was a look which began with a swift speculation and
ended in something very like distaste. But Joseph Chestermarke met it
with his usual quiet smile.

"It would make such a lot of difference--if we knew!" he murmured. "As
it is--things are unpleasant."

Miss Fosdyke finished her reflection and turned away.

"I remember you now," she said calmly. "You're Joseph Chestermarke. Now
I will sit down. And I insist on being told--everything!"

"My dear young lady!" exclaimed Gabriel, "there is next to nothing to
tell. If you will have the unpleasant truth, here it is. Your uncle,
whom we have trusted for more years than I care to mention, disappeared
on Saturday evening, and nobody knows where he is, nor whither he went.
All we know is that we find some of our property missing--valuable
securities. And this gentleman--Lord Ellersdeane--tells us that six
weeks ago he entrusted jewels worth a hundred thousand pounds to your
uncle's keeping--they, too, are missing. What can we think?"

The girl's face had flushed, and her brows had drawn together in an
angry frown by the time Gabriel had finished, and Neale, silently
watching her from the background, saw her fingers clench themselves. She
gave a swift glance at the Earl, and then fixed her eyes steadily on
Gabriel.

"Are you telling me that my uncle is a--thief?" she demanded. "Are you,
Mr. Chestermarke?"

"I'm not, anyhow!" exclaimed the Earl. "I--I--so far as I'm concerned, I
say there's some mistake."

"Thank you!" she answered quietly. "But--you, Mr. Chestermarke?
Come--I'm entitled to an answer."

Gabriel showed signs of deep annoyance. He had the reputation of being a
confirmed woman-hater, and it was plain that he was ill at ease in
presence of this plain-spoken young person.

"You appear to be a lady of much common sense!" he said. "Therefore----"

"I have some common sense," interrupted Miss Fosdyke coolly. "And what
amount I possess tells me that I never heard anything more ridiculous in
my life than the suggestion that my uncle should steal anything