luncheon and dinner degenerated into affairs of emptiest formality. At
the latter, indeed, Mrs. Gosnold presided over an oddly balanced
board; three-fourths of those present were men--fully half the
feminine guests dining from trays in their rooms or else abstaining
altogether in order that not one precious moment might be lost to the
creation of their improvised disguises. And the talk at table was
singularly disconnected, with an average of interest uncommonly low.
People were obviously saving themselves up. There was no lingering
over tobacco; the last course served, the guests dispersed in
all haste compatible with decency.

It was at this meal that Sally got her first glimpse of Savage since
his arrival in the course of the afternoon. She had been far too busy
to keep watch and unable to invent any plausible excuse for inquiring
after him, but the thought of his return had never been far out of
mind. However busy, she had been unable to dismiss entirely the
consideration that Savage was bringing the first authentic news of
whatever activities the police might have inaugurated in connection
with the burglary and whatever their progress in pursuit of the clue
furnished by the garments discarded in the bath-room. And all the
reassurances of Mrs. Gosnold were impotent to counteract apprehensions
fostered by such reflections.

But there was the length and the width of the table between them. She
had to be content with all that Savage found chance to accord her--a
bow, a smile, and a glance down his nose significant of unspeakable
intelligence.

She thought he looked a bit pale and worried and betrayed more
nervousness than was natural in the man as she had come to know him.

Whether or not he had been accompanied by the threatened insurance
adjuster (or detective!) she was unable to surmise; notwithstanding
several strange faces in the number at table, she was inclined to
believe that a person of such character would have been lodged
somewhere in the village which served as the island's main port of
entry, rather than brought to Gosnold House--already crowded with
guests.

As soon as the company rose Savage manoeuvred to the side of the girl,
detaining her long enough to convey a surreptitious message under
cover of apparently care-free greetings.

"Must have a talk," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
"Something you ought to know immediately."

A pang of pure fear shot through her mind, but she retain