saw his secretaries coming and going so often from his room, and neither
of them was willing to admit, in fact they flatly denied when
questioned, that they had seen their chief at all. Towards afternoon,
Virginia returned from a short drive in the park to be told that two
gentlemen were waiting to see her. She found no one in the drawing-room
or waiting-room, however, or any of the usual reception-rooms, and rang
the bell for the butler.

"Where are these people, Groves," she asked, "who want to see me?"

"They are in the library, madam," the man answered.

"You mean in your master's room?" she asked, with a sudden presentiment.

"Yes, madam!" the man answered. "You see, they are Mr. Weiss and Mr.
Higgins, two of the master's greatest friends, and they wished to see
the room where the burglary took place."

Virginia looked at the man in cold anger.

"Groves," she said, "you had my orders that no one was to be admitted
into that room."

"I am sorry if I did wrong, madam," the man answered. "I made exception
in favour of these two gentlemen, because they were constant visitors
here, and old friends of Mr. Duge's, and I scarcely thought that your
orders would apply to them."

Virginia stepped past him and across the hall. She entered the room
suddenly and closed the door behind her. Mr. Weiss, with a bunch of keys