s--strong as steel, they
were--moving about among the cups. He had once admired them intensely.
But now he knew that hands did not have to be so firm and muscular to
accomplish wonderful achievements in all sorts of ways.

At ten, Mrs. Falkener came swimming down the stairs, all suavity and
brightness. The evening before, while Crane had been struggling with
the problem of Brindlebury's misdeeds, she and Tucker had had another
council of war. A new attack upon the cook had been planned, which they
felt sure would bring to light delinquencies that even Crane could not
overlook.

"Come, Burton," she said as she entered the sitting-room, "aren't you
ever going to offer to show me the kitchen? You know that to an
old-fashioned housekeeper like myself, it is the most interesting part
of the whole house."

Such interest, Crane felt inclined to answer, was not confined to
old-fashioned housekeepers. Her suggestion roused conflicting desires in
him; the desire to see Jane-Ellen, and the desire to protect her from
Mrs. Falkener.

"Tuck could tell us all about it," he said slyly.

Tucker, who was reading the paper, pretended not to hear, and presently
Crane rang the bell.

"Tell the cook, Smithfield," he said, "that Mrs. Falkener and I are
coming down to inspect the kitchen in about ten minutes."

When Smithfield had gone, Mrs. Falkener shook her finger at Crane.

"That was a mistake, my dear Burton," she said, "a great mistake. Take
them unaware whenever you can; it is the only way to protect ourselves
against the unscrupulous members of their class."

"Crane," said Tucker, without looking up from his paper, "wants to give
the young woman plenty of time to smuggle out any superfluous young man
who may be visiting her at the moment."

"Well, I'm no gum-shoe man, Tuck," Burton replied, leaving all of his
hearers in doubt as to whether or not he had emphasized the word "I."

Tucker laughed sarcastically.

"No, my dear fellow," he answered, "your best friend would not accuse
you of having talents along the detective line."

"Perhaps not," replied Crane. "And by the way, did I tell you that the
miniature had turned up all right?"

Tucker's face fell. He had depended a good deal on the loss of the
miniature as a lever to oust the whole set of servants.

"No," he said. "Where was it discovered?"

"Oh, it had just been moved," answered Crane. "It was lying on another
table, when I happened to notice it." He took it o