Page:Rowland--The closing net.djvu/78

64 They swept past and Miss Dalghren looked at me, her eyes big with surprise.

"Did you see that?" she cried. "I wonder why she did it? And her face was furious."

"Probably the Prince said something nice about you," I answered.

The girl did not answer, and I guessed that she was thinking of the night that Leontine had sat next us in the box. A little later she turned and gave me a look which I pretended not to see. For my part, I was troubled, and when we got back I said:

"You drive well enough now to take your examination. I'll go down to the prefecture and make an engagement for you."

"Very well," she answered quietly, but there was a tone to her voice that made me uneasy.

It was about a week later that John came into the office one morning looking so badly that I thought he must have been making a night of it. He shot me a quick look, then said, shortly:

"Come into the private office, Frank, I want to talk to you."

I followed him in. John turned to me with a haggard face.

"Frank," said he, "here's the devil to pay. Mary Dalghren's pearls have been stolen."

My friend, I have had some hard jolts at different times in my busy life. But never did I get such a knock-out blow as that. I could feel the blood sucking out of my face and the pit of my stomach seemed to melt. John's expression was pretty bad, but my own must have been worse, for he said, sharply: "What's the matter with you?"