from throat to foot. From the mouths
of its gaping sleeves her shapely wrists and hands thrust out snow-white
and still as sculpture.

For a moment all eyes were upon her, as she stood motionless.... Then
the man with the eye-glass screwed it back into his eye, and resumed his
dictation....

The spell was broken.

The packer left his work and, lifting a great chair bodily with apparent
ease, set it noiselessly by my side.

The master bowed again.

"I congratulate you, madam, upon your great heart. I beg that you will
join that gentleman."

With a high head, My Lady Disdain swept to the spot indicated and sank
into the chair.

"Please lean right back.... Thank you."

The cold steel was withdrawn from my throat, and I breathed more freely.

Nobby wriggled to get to my sister, but I held him fast.

"So it was burglars," said Daphne.

"Looks like it," said I.

I glanced at the leader, who had taken his seat upon the club-kerb. His
right hand appeared to be resting upon his knee.

"I think," said my sister, "I'll have a cigarette." I handed her one
from the pile and lighted it from my own. As I did so--

"_Courage,_" I whispered. "_Jonah ne tardera pas._"

"I beg," said the spokesman, "that you will not whisper together. It
tends to create an atmosphere of mistrust."

My sister inclined her head with a silvery laugh.

"You have a large staff," she said.

"That is my way. I am not a believer in the lone hand. But there you
are. _Quot homines, tot sententicae,"_ and with that, he spread out his
hands and shrugged his broad shoulders.

Daphne raised her delicate eyebrows and blew out a cloud of smoke.

"'The fewer men,'" she quoted, "'the greater share of--_plunder_.'"

The shoulders began to shake.

"_Touche,_" was the reply. "A pretty thrust, madam. But you must read
further on. 'And gentlemen in _Mayfair_ now abed Shall think themselves
accursed they were not here.' Shall we say that--er--honours are easy?"
And the old villain fairly rocked with merriment.

Daphne laughed airily.

"Good for you," she said. "As a matter of fact, sitting here, several
things look extremely easy."

"So, on the whole, they are. Mind you, lookers-on see the easy side. And
you, madam, are a very privileged spectator."

"I have paid for my seat," flashed my sister.

"Royally. Still, deadhead or not, a spectator you are, and, as such, you
see the easy side. Now, one of the greatest dangers that can befall a
thief