wer tone, "I shall come back to-morrow, in case I can be of
any use."

They were gone, and I was the only one remaining. It has occurred to me
since that perhaps they expected me to go too, but I never thought of it
at the time. I had been asked for a week, and to go before the end of it
never so much as entered my head.

There was no chance of going out. The early winter afternoon was already
closing in, and a few flakes of snow were drifting like feathers in the
heavy air, promising more to come. Every one seemed to have dispersed,
Ralph up-stairs to his father, Charles out-of-doors somewhere in spite
of the weather. I remembered that I had not written to Jane since I
left London, and went into the library to do so. As I came in I saw
Evelyn sitting in a low chair by the fire, gazing abstractedly into it.
She started when she saw me, and on my saying I wished to write some
letters, showed me a writing-table near the fire, with pens, ink, and
paper.

"You will find it very cold at the big table in the window," she said,
looking at it with its broken drawer, a chink open, with a visible
shudder.

I installed myself near the fire, talking cheerfully the while, for it
struck me she was a little low in her spirits. She did not make much
response, and I was settling down to my letters when she suddenly said:

"Colonel Middleton!"

"Yes, Miss Derrick."

"I am afraid I am interrupting your writing, but--"

I looked round. She was standing up, nervously playing with her rings.
"But--I know I am not supposed to--but I know what happened last night;
Aurelia told me."

"It is very sad, isn't it?" I said. "But cheer up. I dare say we may get
them back yet." And I nodded confidentially at her. "In the mean time,
you know, you must not talk of it to any one."

"Do you suspect any one in particular?" she asked, very earnestly,
coming a step nearer.

I hardly knew what to say. Carr, I need hardly mention, I had never
suspected for a moment; but Charles--Marston had evidently believed what
Charles had said, but I am by nature more cautious and less credulous
than Marston. Besides, I had not forgiven Charles yet for trying to
incriminate Carr. Not knowing what to say, I shrugged my shoulders and
smiled.

"You do suspect some one, then?"

"My dear young lady," I replied, "when jewels are stolen, one naturally
suspects some one has taken them."

"So I should imagine. Whom do you naturally suspect?"

I could not tell h