aid I, smiling.

"Can you find your way?" said Madame. "The house will be almost in
darkness."

"Oh, yes, Madame."

A moment later I was in the corridor beyond the iron door. It was
quite dark, but twenty paces away a faint suggestion of light showed
where the door of the Royal box stood open. When I reached it, I saw
that a solitary lamp was burning on the far side of the stalls. After
glancing at it, the darkness of the box seemed more impenetrable. I
felt for the little gold bag--on the balcony, on the chair, on the
floor. It was nowhere. I stood up and peered into the great, dim
auditorium, wondering whether I dared strike a match. Fearing that
there might be a fireman somewhere in the darkness, I abandoned the
idea. The sudden flash might be seen, and then people would come
running, and there would have to be explanations. I went down on my
hands and knees, and felt round her chair and then mine, and then all
over the box. Just as I got up, my right hand encountered something
hard and shiny. Clearly it wasn't what I was looking for, but out of
curiosity I stooped to feel it again. I groped in vain for a moment;
then I put my hand full on the buckle of a patent-leather shoe. As my
fingers closed about a warm ankle:

"Pardon, monsieur!" came a quick whisper.

I let go. "Is that you, Yvonne?"

"Si, monsieur."

"I never heard you come in."

"I have come this moment, and did not see monsieur in the dark. Madame
has sent me. Monsieur cannot find that little bag?"

"No. Do you think I might strike a match?"

"Ah, no, monsieur, not in the Opera House, They are so particular."

"I see--at least, I don't, and that's the trouble. However--"

I felt over the balcony again. No good.

"Where did mademoiselle sit, monsieur?"

"Where are you?"

I groped in the direction of the whisper and found an arm.

"In that chair there," I said, guiding her to it.

"Here, monsieur?"

"Yes, that's right."

I heard her hands groping about the chair and turned to try the floor
on the other side again.

"I have it, monsieur."

"Well," said I, "I could have sworn I'd felt everywhere round that
chair."

She chinked the bag by way of answer.

"Anyway, we've got it," said I. "Come on." And I made for the door.
Then I stopped to take one more look at the great house. As I did so,
a woman appeared on the far side of the stalls. She paused for a
second to glance at herself in a mirror immediately