d key was as efficacious as the first. An examination of the first
drawer did not produce all that she had expected. She returned the
papers to the drawer, pushed it to and locked it. She gave her attention
to the second drawer. Her hand shook a little as she pulled it open. It
was her last chance, her last hope.

There were a number of small jewel-boxes almost filling the drawer. She
took them out one by one and at the bottom she found what she had been
searching for and that which had filled her thoughts for the past three
months.

It was a square case covered in red morocco leather. She inserted her
shaking hand and took it out with a triumphant little cry.

"At last," she said aloud, and then a hand grasped her wrist and in a
panic she turned to meet the smiling face of Kara.

CHAPTER X

She felt her knees shake under her and thought she was going to swoon.
She put out her disengaged hand to steady herself, and if the face which
was turned to him was pale, there was a steadfast resolution in her dark
eyes.

"Let me relieve you of that, Miss Holland," said Kara, in his silkiest
tones.

He wrenched rather than took the box from her hand, replaced it
carefully in the drawer, pushed the drawer to and locked it, examining
the key as he withdrew it. Then he closed the safe and locked that.

"Obviously," he said presently, "I must get a new safe."

He had not released his hold of her wrist nor did he, until he had
led her from the room back to the library. Then he released the girl,
standing between her and the door, with folded arms and that cynical,
quiet, contemptuous smile of his upon his handsome face.

"There are many courses which I can adopt," he said slowly. "I can
send for the police--when my servants whom you have despatched so
thoughtfully have returned, or I can take your punishment into my own
hands."

"So far as I am concerned," said the girl coolly, "you may send for the
police."

She leant back against the edge of the desk, her hands holding the edge,
and faced him without so much as a quaver.

"I do not like the police," mused Kara, when there came a knock at the
door.

Kara turned and opened it and after a low strained conversation he
returned, closing the door and laid a paper of stamps on the girl's
table.

"As I was saying, I do not care for the police, and I prefer my own
method. In this particular instance the police obviously would not serve
me, because you are not afra