XVIII
DEFEAT
All Clo's efforts and schemings wasted! She had tricked, stolen, riskedher life, in vain. The envelope was gone.
"You can't have looked everywhere," she insisted. "The thing must havegot tucked out of sight--unless Miss Blackburne ... but no, she's asgood as gold!"
"I'm sure you're right about her. She is good," said Beverley."But ... she says nobody came into the room while she wasthere.... I asked her. Otherwise I might have thought thatRog----" The sentence broke. "I wanted to see you alone," Angel beganagain, "so I came back. You've been so wonderful to-day, you've mademe depend upon you. If there were anything to do, you'd be the oneto do it. But there's nothing ... is there? I can't see any light,can you?"
"Let me help you to look for the envelope," said Clo.
"Come, then," said the other, in a toneless voice, unlike her own.Together they went to Beverley's boudoir, where there was a littleinterlude of greetings between Clo and Miss Blackburne. Then, Clo wasbeginning her search for the lost envelope when Roger Sands slowlypassed the half-open door. Beverley had left it ajar, not because shewished to call him (that desire had fled with the news about thepearls), but in order to see that he went out. She stood with her backto the door at the moment, but on the wall directly opposite hung a longmirror. Clo guessed, by the slight start Angel gave, that she must havecaught sight of his reflection. He turned and came back.
"If he asks to see the pearls!" was the thought in Clo's head. Her eyesmet Beverley's and read the same terror there.
Roger spoke to Miss Blackburne, pausing on the threshold.
"What do you think of the baubles?" he asked with elaboratecarelessness. "Are they above the average?"
The two girls held their breath. Would the pearl-stringer give thesituation away?
But Miss Blackburne, true to herself, was discretion incarnate.
"I've not seen enough of the pearls, yet, to form an opinion," shereplied, "but my impression is that they must be altogetherexceptional."
"I'm glad your impression is good," said Roger. He turned to his wife."I may not be back till late. Don't sit up for me. Good-night."
Beverley followed him into the hall.
"Roger!" she pleaded. "You're doing me a most horrible injustice. Ican't bear it!"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"You can't help knowing," she said, "It's about Justin O'Reilly. Youthink I----"
"Have I accused you of anything?" he challenged, brows raised, eyesblank.
"No. But----"
"Your imagination seems to be even more lively than your conscience issensitive, my dear girl. What have you done, that I should accuse you?"
"I've done nothing, Roger, that you----"
"All right, then. Why borrow trouble? I must hurry, or I'll miss myappointment. Good-night again. Sleep well!"
Roger left her without a backward glance. Beverley felt that she wascaught in the folds of a vast net.
What was it Clo had said, that day? "There was once a mouse who gnawed anet----" Poor mouse, it had tried to-day to gnaw the net! It had gnawedone small hole, but even before the prisoner could struggle to get free,the hole had closed again. Still, the mouse was ready for another bout.It was a brave, bold mouse--a subtle mouse! For some strange reason hersole hope was in Clo.
During her absence the girl had searched the boudoir from end to end.Her sharp eyes had not missed a cranny big enough to hide a pin, to saynothing of a rope of pearls or a large envelope with five red seals.Both the pearls and the envelope must have been stolen. Were there twothieves, or only one?
With Roger's departure, and Beverley's return, the three women couldtalk with freedom, especially after Mrs. Sands' announcement to thebutler that he would not be needed to serve dinner.
Miss Blackburne reiterated that she knew nothing of the envelope. Shehad had no thought for anything except the pearls. Their loss put herinto an embarrassing position unless Mrs. Sands intended informing Mr.Sands and the police at once of what had happened.
"I saw by your face you didn't want me to speak when your husband camein," she said to Beverley, "so I hedged, and did the best I couldwithout lying. I realized that you would want to be the one to break thenews. But I suppose you have told him now? He'll send the police, orsome private detective, won't he, to take evidence while I'm here?"
"I do want to get them back," Beverley answered. "But I haven't told myhusband, and we can't have the police, or even a detective. That mustseem not quite fair to you, Miss Blackburne. Whatever happens, youshan't suffer, I promise. I believe I know who has taken the pearls. IfI'm right, it isn't exactly a theft. Perhaps if I go the right way aboutit, I can get them again. What's the good of worrying my husband, whenin a day or two there may be nothing to worry about?"
"M-m-m," muttered Miss Blackburne, "I think you're wrong, Mrs. Sands. Ihave a feeling that Mr. Sands suspects."
"That the pearls are gone? How can he?" Beverley cried.
"I don't know, I only feel," the little woman repeated.
As the two had talked, Clo watched Miss Blackburne's face. It was withher as the pearl-stringer had said of herself: she "did not know--shecould only feel" that the good little woman had something on herconscience, something that she was obliged to hide.
Clo had by this time succeeded in clearing her mind from cobwebs.
Suddenly a light shone like flame upon the mystery. "Peterson!" was thename that printed itself upon the girl's brain. "If he could have gotinto the flat, he could have stolen both the pearls and papers. DoesMiss Blackburne know something, and if she does, why won't she tell?"
It occurred to Clo that, if she could have a few words with MissBlackburne alone, perhaps the puzzle might be solved.
"Angel," she said, "if there's been a thief in this house, perhaps he'shere still. With two manservants, you ought----"
Beverley waited for no more. Any straw was worth catching at. Shecouldn't wait to ring for Johnson. She rushed out of the boudoir, hopingto find the butler in the dining room. He was there. And while sheexplained that something had been stolen, that the flat must besearched, Clo got the chance she had wanted.
"Miss Blackburne, you're my friend!" she exclaimed. "This means life ordeath to me. I'm responsible for that envelope we've lost. Do, for thelove of heaven, tell me what happened in this room while Mrs. Sands wentout and left you here alone."
The pearl-stringer remained silent. She met Clo's great, imploring eyeswithout shrinking, but the girl saw that she breathed hard.
"If you don't want me to die, tell me!" Clo implored.
"My child, I would tell you, if I could," she stiffened herself. "But,you see," she finished, "there's nothing to tell. So, I can't."