Swiftly and silently Wentworth removed the coat from within his own,
crossed the hall, substituted the baum marten for the Russian sable,
and reentered the gentlemen's dressing room, where it was but the work
of a moment to conceal the garment within the folds of his coat. Then
he descended the stairs, entered the dining room, and seated himself in
the vacant chair beside Jean McNabb.

The dinner went as dinners do and was brought to a rather abrupt
termination by someone's discovery that it lacked but five minutes to
eight. As the guests rose from the table Wentworth gave a startled
exclamation.

"In my haste in dressing I forgot my pocketbook. I distinctly
recollect removing it from my pocket and tossing it upon the bed, and
there I must have left it." He turned to Elsie Campbell. "I hope you
will pardon me if I hurry away but really, that pocketbook contains a
rather large sum--expense money you know--and, I am almost certain that
I neglected to lock my room. I will join you at the door of the
theatre; I can easily reach there before you, if I hurry."

A moment later he rushed from the house with his overcoat upon his arm,
and hurried to the hotel where, lifting the tray of his trunk, he
deposited the sable coat, replaced the tray, locked and strapped the
trunk, and finished just in time to respond to the knock of the
truckman. Five minutes later he was waiting at the theatre for the
others, who appeared just before the rise of the curtain on the first
act.