nd: "Justin
O'Reilly, care of The Manager, Columbian Bank, New York City," she read.

There was just one reason to believe that the envelope contained Mrs.
Sands' papers; Clo's own strong, instinctive conviction.

Tentatively she pressed one of the seals. It cracked across. Another
went the same way, and as she touched the third there came a sound of
talking outside the door. "Open it for me with your pass-key, please," a
man said. It was O'Reilly's voice.

XIII

"THERE CAN BE NO BARGAIN"

When Beverley Sands had shut the door between Clodagh's room and Sister
Lake's, she stood silent before Justin O'Reilly.

"Well, Mrs. Sands," he said, "I must congratulate you."

"On--what?" she stammered. She looked very young and humble, not at all
the proud princess who had captured Roger Sands against his will.

O'Reilly answered, still smiling his cruel smile, "It's not too late for
congratulations on your marriage, is it? By the way, perhaps one wishes
well to the bride and congratulates the bridegroom! I mean nothing
invidious."

"You mean to hurt me all you can!" Beverley cried.

"I'm on the other side, Mrs. Sands."

"Don't I know that!" she answered bitterly. "I've known since I saw you
on board the Santa Fe Limited that day last September. I expected--some
one else, not you. But I guessed in an instant why you had come."

"I accepted the obligations of friendship," O'Reilly deigned to explain.
"And that brings us to one of the subjects for congratulation: your
friend. A wonderful young person. I congratulate you highly upon her.
She informed me that she'd gladly die for you. Judging from her looks,
she isn't far from doing so. I'm sure you must want to go to her now.
Oh, by the by, one more congratulation: the pearls."

"How did you know?" Beverley forgot her humiliation in sheer amazement.

"Weren't you told that Heron was trying to buy them for his wife?"
O'Reilly waived her question with another.

"No, indeed! They were a surprise present to me this afternoon from my
husband. If I'd known that Mr. Heron...."

"You don't expect me to believe you'd have sacrificed them to Heron, or
his wife, do you, Mrs. Sands?" O'Reilly laughed.

"I almost think I would. I'll give the pearls up to Mrs. Heron if you'll
do as--as Clodagh Riley asked you to do. Oh, for pity's sake! I'd pay
more than the pearls for those papers. I'd pay with my life if that
would be of any use. I know it wouldn't. But the pearls--ca