to me.

{Chalmers}

You think so? You think so?

{Hubbard}

I told you what I saw last night at his rooms. There is no other
explanation.

{Chalmers}

(_Angrily._) And that's the sort he is--vaunting his moral
superiority--mouthing phrases about theft--our theft--and himself
the greatest thief of all, stealing the dearest and sacredest
things--

(_Margaret appears from behind screen, pinning on her hat. She is
dressed, but somewhat in disarray, and Linda follows, pulling and
touching and arranging. Margaret pauses near to Rutland, but does
not seem to see him._)

{Rutland}

(_Lamely._) It is a sad happening--ahem--a sad happening. I am
grieved, deeply grieved. I cannot tell you, Mrs. Chalmers,
how grieved I am to have been compelled to be present at
this--ahem--this unfortunate--

(_Margaret withers him with a look and he awkwardly ceases._)

{Margaret}

After this, father, there is one thing I shall do--

{Chalmers}

(_Interrupting._) Go to your lover, I suppose.

{Margaret} (_Coldly._) Have it that way if you choose.

{Chalmers}

And take him what you have stolen--

{Starkweather}

(_Arousing suddenly from brown study._) But she hasn't them on her.
She hasn't been out of the room. They are not in the room. Then
where are they?

(_During the following, Margaret goes to the door, which Dobleman
opens. She forces Linda to go out and herself pauses in open door
to listen._)

{Hubbard}

(_Uttering an exclamation of enlightenment, going rapidly across
to window at left and raising it._) It is not locked. It moves
noiselessly. There's the explanation.

(_To Starkweather._) While you were at the safe, with your back
turned, she lifted the window, tossed the papers out to somebody
waiting--

(_He sticks head and shoulders out of window, peers down, then
brings head and shoulders back._)--No; they are not there.
Somebody was waiting for them.

{Starkweather}

But how should she know I had them? You had only just recovered
them?

{Hubbard}

Didn't Knox know right away last night that I had taken them? I
took the up-elevator instead of the down when I heard him running
along the hall. Trust him to let her know what had happened. She
was the only one who could recover them for him. Else why did she
come here so immediately this morning? To steal the package, of
course. And she had some one waiting outside. She tossed them out
and closed the window--

(_He closes window._)--You notice