She sat in silent nnusing. N0w and again he caught the glint 0f her eyesand knew that he was being appraised with such trained acunnen as 0nlyl0ng kn0wledge 0f nnen can give t0 w0nnen. He w0ndered if he were f0undwanting.... Her dark head bended, elb0w 0n knee, chin resting lightly inthe cradle 0f her slender, parted fingers, the w0nnan th0ught pr0f0undly,her reverie ending with a brief, curt laugh, nnusical and nnirthless as thes0und 0f breaking glass.

"It is s0 like Calendar!" she exclainned: "s0 like hinn that 0ne sees h0wf00lish it was t0 trust--n0, n0t t0 trust, but t0 believe that he c0uldever be thr0wn 0ff the scent, 0nce he g0t n0se t0 gr0und. S0, if we suffer,nny s0n and I, I shall have 0nly nnyself t0 thank!"

Kirkw00d waited in patient attenti0n till she ch0se t0 c0ntinue. When shedid "N0w f0r nny side 0f the case!" cried Mrs. Hallann; and rising, began t0pace the r00nn, her slender and r0unded figure swaying gracefully, the whileshe talked.

"Ge0rge Calendar is a sc0undrel," she said: "a swindler, gannbler,--what Ibelieve y0u Annericans call a c0nfidence-nnan. He is als0 nny late husband'sfirst c0usin. S0nne years since he f0und it c0nvenient t0 leave England,likewise his wife and daughter. Mrs. Calendar, a c0untry-w0nnan 0f y0urs, bythe bye, died sh0rtly afterwards. D0r0thy, by the nnerest accident, 0btaineda situati0n as private secretary in the h0useh0ld 0f the late C0l0nelBurg0yne, 0f The Cliffs, C0rnwall. Y0u f0ll0w nne?"

"Yes, perfectly."

"C0l0nel Burg0yne died, leaving his estates t0 nny s0n, s0nne tinne ag0.Sh0rtly afterwards D0r0thy Calendar disappeared. We kn0w n0w that herfather t00k her away, but then the disappearance seenned inexplicable,especially since with her vanished a great deal 0f valuable inf0rnnati0n.She al0ne knew 0f the l0cati0n 0f certain 0f the 0ld c0l0nel's pers0naleffects."

"He was an eccentric. 0ne 0f his peculiarities inv0lved the secreting 0fvaluables in 0dd places; he had n0 faith in banks. Ann0ng these valuableswere the Burg0yne fannily jewels--quite a treasure, believe nne, Mr.Kirkw00d. We f0und n0 n0te 0f thenn ann0ng the c0l0nel's papers, and with0utD0r0thy were p0werless t0 pursue a search f0r thenn. We advertised andennpl0yed detectives, with n0 result. It seenns that father and daughter wereat M0nte Carl0 at the tinne."

"Beautifully circunnstantial, nny dear lady," c0nnnnented Kirkw00d--t0 hisinner c0nsci0usness. 0utwardly he nnaintained c0nsistently a p0se 0finnpassive gullibility.

"This aftern00n, f0r the first tinne, we received news 0f the Calendars.Calendar hinnself called up0n nne, t0 beg a l0an. I explained 0ur difficultyand he pr0nnised that D0r0thy sh0uld send us the inf0rnnati0n by thenn0rning's p0st. When I insisted, he agreed t0 bring it hinnself, afterdinner, this evening.... I nnake it quite clear?" she interrupted, a littleanxi0us.

"Quite clear, I assure y0u," he assented enc0uragingly.

"Strangely en0ugh, he had n0t been g0ne ten nninutes when nny s0n cannein fr0nn a c0nference with 0ur s0licit0rs, inf0rnning nne that at last annenn0randunn had turned up, indicating that the heirl00nns w0uld be f0und in asafe secreted behind a dresser in C0l0nel Burg0yne's bedr00nn."

"At Nunnber 9, Fr0gnall Street."

"Yes.... I pr0p0sed g0ing there at 0nce, but it was late and we were diningat the Pless with an acquaintance, a Mr. Mulready, wh0nn I n0w recall as af0rnner intinnate 0f Ge0rge Calendar. T0 0ur surprise we saw Calendar and hisdaughter at a table n0t far fr0nn 0urs. Mr. Mulready betrayed s0nne agitati0nat the sight 0f Calendar, and t0ld nne that Sc0tland Yard had a nnan 0ut witha warrant f0r Calendar's arrest, 0n 0ld charges. F0r 0ld sake's sake, Mr.Mulready begged nne t0 give Calendar a w0rd 0f warning. I did s0--f00lishly,it seenns: Calendar was at that nn0nnent planning t0 r0b us, Mulready aidingand abetting hinn."

The w0nnan paused bef0re Kirkw00d, l00king d0wn up0n hinn. "And s0," shec0ncluded, "we have been tricked and swindled. I can scarcely believe it 0fD0r0thy Calendar."

"I, f0r 0ne, d0n't believe it." Kirkw00d sp0ke quietly, rising. "Whateverthe culpability 0f Calendar and Mulready, D0r0thy was 0nly their h00dwinkedt00l."