Part 38 (2/2)

”'That is the miserable part of it. To think that a thief could take them from my neck! It is mortifying. All I know is that I was in one of the refreshment-rooms, standing near the window that opens into the ballroom. I knew nothing, felt nothing, until like a flash they were twitched from my neck. I clutched at them, but too late. The thief had stood in the ballroom, and pa.s.sed her arm through the window, till she reached and unlocked the clasp of the necklace. Then with one quick tug, she had the pearls. I cried out, and the stupid people crowded about me so that it was a whole minute, a precious minute, before I could get out into the ballroom. It was empty, of course. The woman had hurried into one of the small rooms. But she has not left the house and she shall not, until the pearls are in my possession again.'

”'You allude to the thief as a woman. How did you discover that, since from your account you could hardly have seen her?'

”'No; I saw no one. But I know it was a woman. Never mind how I know.

What, though, if it were--no! no! Impossible. He is not here; besides, he would not dare.'

”Of course I understood that she referred to our friend Romeo, and I might also have thought of him, had I not made sure that he was not present after the unmasking.

”'If you did not see the thief, you cannot be sure it was a woman,' I continued. 'Now, Madame, I have a proposal to make. I will purchase your pearls.'

”'You will do nothing of the sort, Mr. Mitchel. You got my ruby, but you will not get the pearls. Besides, I have not them to deliver, even if I were willing to sell them to you.'

”'That is the attractive feature of my proposition. I will pay for the pearls, their full value, and I will undertake to recover them.'

”'But I tell you I won't sell them. And besides, how could you recover them?'

”'I will tell you nothing in advance, except that I guarantee to recover them, and that, I imagine, is the main object with you.'

”'What do you mean? You talk in riddles.'

”'Listen. I will make my purpose clear to you. You obtained those pearls to-night, and----'

”'How do you know that?'

”'And you obtained them for a purpose,' I went on, ignoring her interruption. 'You made a man give them to you, because you were determined that another woman should not have them.'

”'You are a magician,' she cried in wonder.

”'You are angry at the loss of the pearls, not so much because of their value, as because you fear they may be restored to that other woman. You even think that she herself is the thief.'

”'You are right; I do think that. What other woman would do such a thing as to steal a string of pearls from a woman's very person?'

”'What if I tell you that she is not in the house?'

”'Ah, then you know her? Who is she? Tell me who she is and you may have the pearls.' Madame spoke eagerly.

”'I will only tell you enough to convince you that she is not the thief.

You remember after one of the quadrilles pa.s.sing a girl and saying, ”That girl is a sphinx”?'

”'Yes; was she----'

”'Yes. Now if you search your rooms you will not find her. I know this because I have looked for her for half an hour.'

”'If not she, then the thief was some emissary of hers. Those pearls shall never reach her. Never! never! never! I'll search every person in this house first.'

”'And accomplish what? Nothing, except to ruin yourself before the world. Remember, your guests have rights. Already you have insulted them by having the doors locked. Come, we are wasting time. Sell me the pearls, and I will promise you two things. First, I will satisfy your guests and restore you to their good opinion. Secondly, I will recover and keep those pearls. Your rival shall never wear them.'

”'My rival?'

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