Cowl resembled a great beast good-humouredly lolloping into the cage in
which two rabbits had been placed for his diversion and hunger.

Pulling a key from the pocket of his vast waistcoat, he said in his quiet
voice, so seductive and ominous:

"Is this the key of the safe?"

He offered it delicately to Audrey.

It was the key of the safe.

"Did they find it in the ditch?" Audrey demanded, blushing, for she knew
that the key had not been found in the ditch; she knew by a certain
indentation on it that it was the duplicate key which she herself had
mislaid.

"No," said Mr. Cowl. "I found it myself, and not in the ditch. I remembered
you had said that you had changed at the dressmaker's in the village and
had left there an old frock."

"Did I?" murmured Audrey, with a deeper blush.

Mr. Cowl nodded.

"I had the happy idea that you might have had the key and left it in the
pocket of the frock. So I trotted down to the dressmaker's and asked for
the frock, in your name, and lo! the result!"

He pointed to the key lying in Audrey's long hand.