IHE GREAT

feeling at once the gravity of the case, and recognising that this was a Big Thing, in which therce was glory to be won, and perhaps promotion, scnt a detective at once, and adwvised that if possible nothing should be said to the household on the subject for the pre- sent, till the detective had taken a good look round the premises. That was useless, Sir Everard feared, for the lady's-maid knew ; and the lady’s-maid would be sure to go down, all agog with the news, to the servants’ hall immediately. However, they might try : no harm m trying ; and the sooncr the detective got round to the house, of course, the better.

The detective accompanied him back o keen-faced, close -shaven, 1rreproachable- looking man, like a \ul(fan/cd copy of M. Tohn ]\I()Il(\ He was curt and busiess- like. His first question was, “ Have the servants been told of this?”

Lady Maclure looked inquiringly across at Bertha. She herself had been sitting all the time with the bereaved Persis, to console her (with Browning) under this hcm\ affliction,

“No, my lady,” Bertha answered, cver calm (invaluable servant, Bertha ), “ 1 didn't mention 1t to anybody downstairs on purpose, thinking perhaps 1t might be decided to search the servants’ boxes.”

The detective pricked up his cars. He was engaged already in glancing casually round the room. He moved about it now, like a conjurer, with quiet steps and slow, “He doesnt get on one’s nerves,” Persis remarked, approvingly, in an undertone to her friend ; then she added, aloud - *“What's your hane, pl ase, Mr. Officer?”

The detective was lifting a lace handker- chief on the dressing-table at the side. He turned round softly. “ Gregory, madam,” he answered, hardly glancing at the girl, and goinu on with his occupation.

“The same as the powders |7 posed, with a shudder. 1 them when 1 was a child. 1 bear them.”

“We're as remedies,” the detective replied, with a quiet smile @ “ but nobody likes us.” And he relapsed contentedly into

PPersts inter- used to take never could

his work once more, scarching round the apartment. “The first thing we have to do,” he said,

with a calm air of superiority, standing now by the window, with onc hand m his pocket, “1s to satisfy ourselves whether or not there has really, at all, been a robbery. We must

look through the room well, and sec vou haven't left the rubies lving about loose

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301

somewhere. Such things often happen. Were constantly called in to investigate a case, when it’s only a matter of a lady’s care- lessness.”

At that Persis flared up. A daughter of the great republic isn't au,mtomcd to bc d()tll)tul likea mere European woman. “I'm quite sure I took them off,” she said, “and put them back in the jewel case. Of that I'm just confident. There isn't a doubt possible.”

Mr. Gregory redoubled his search in all likely and unlikely places. 1 should say that settles the matter,” he answered, blandly.

• Our experience is that whenever a lady’s per-

fectly certain, beyond the possibility of doubt, she puta thing away safely, it’s absolutely sure to turn up where she says she didn’t put it.”

Persis answered him never a word. Her manners had not that reposc that stamps the caste of Vere de Vere; $0, to prevent an outbreak, she took wfu% in Browning.

M. (IICL)O]), nothmg abashed, searched the room thoroughly, up and dow n, without the faintest regard to Persis’s feelings ; he was a detective, he said, and his business was first of all to unmask crime, irrespective of circum- stances. Lady Maclure stood by, meanwhile, with the imperturbable Bertha, Mr. Gregory mvestigated every hole and cranny, like a man who wishes to let the world sce for itsell he performs a disagrecable duty with unflinching thoroughness. When he had finished, he turned to Lady Maclure. “ And now, if you please,” he said, blandly, “wcll proceed to mvestigate the servants’ hoxes.”

[Lady Maclure looked at her maid.

• Bertha,” she said, “go downstairs, and sce

that none of the other servants come up, meanwhile, to their bedrooms.” Tady Mac- lure was not quite to the manner born, and had never acquired the hateful aristocratic habit of calling women servants by their sur- names only.

But the detective interposed. “No, no,” he said, sharply. “'This young woman had better stop here with Miss l\cma]mt—stn( tly m(lu her eye till Tve searched the boxes. IFor if T find nothing there, it may perhaps be my disagrecable duty, b} -and- })}, to call mn a female to scarch her.”

It was lady Maclure’s turn to flare up now. “Why, this 15 my own maid,” she said, - a chilly tone, “and I've every con- fidence m her.”

“Very sorry for that, my lady,” M. (mwun responded, - a most official voice ;

“ but our experience teaches us that if there’s a person I the case whom nobody ever