in his hand, was trying to find one that fitted her uncle's desk.
Higgins, who held an open penknife, seemed to have been attempting to
pry the lid. They started as they saw Virginia enter, and it flashed
into her mind at once that they had waited to pay their visit until they
had seen her go out, and that her return so quickly had
disconcerted them.

"Mr. Weiss," she said, crossing the room towards them, "this room is in
my charge. It is by my uncle's orders that no one enters it. I regret
that you were shown here by a servant who misunderstood his
instructions. Will you come into the morning-room with me at once?"

Mr. Weiss stood up. Higgins had moved a little toward the door, and
Virginia suddenly realized that her retreat was cut off.

"Young lady," the former said, "you must forgive us both, and me
especially, if we speak to you very plainly. I told you about the
document in which we were interested, which your uncle was holding
yesterday. We were willing to let it remain here under ordinary
circumstances, but after the events of last night, we do not propose to
let it stay here another hour. If your uncle is not well enough to be
spoken to, then we must take the matter into our own hands. You can see
for yourself what a risk we run, when only last night an attempt was
very nearly successfully made to steal these papers,"

"I hear what you say," Virginia answered. "May I ask what you intend to
do?"

"To break open this desk, if necessary," Mr. Weiss said, "and to find
our way somehow or other into the interior of the coffer where these