Mrs. Daniels took one long deep breath and came from the bureau.
Instantly Mr. Gryce stooped and pulled out the drawer she had so
visibly protected. A white towel met our eyes, spread neatly out at
its full length. Lifting it, we looked beneath. A carefully folded
dress of dark blue silk, to all appearance elegantly made, confronted
our rather eager eyes. Beside it, a collar of exquisite lace--I know
enough of such matters to be a judge--pricked through by a gold
breast-pin of a strange and unique pattern. A withered bunch of what
appeared to have been a bouquet of red roses, surmounted the whole,
giving to the otherwise commonplace collection the appearance of a
relic from the tomb.

We both drew back in some amazement, involuntarily glancing up at Mrs.
Daniels.

"I have no explanation to give," said that woman, with a calmness
strangely in contrast to the agitation she had displayed while Mr.
Blake had remained in the room. "That those things rich as they are,
really belonged to the girl, I have no doubt. She brought them when
she came, and they only confirm what I have before intimated: that
she was no ordinary sewing girl, but a woman who had seen better
days."

With a low "humph!" and another glance at the dark blue dress and
delicate collar, Mr. Gryce carefully replaced the cloth he had taken
from them, and softly closed the drawer without either of us having
laid a finger upon a single article. Five minutes later he
disappeared from the room.