"Be thankful," she declared, "that I am not accusing you of having
murdered him."

"But seriously," he insisted, "am I on my defence have I to account
for my movements that night as against the written word of your
mysterious informant? Is it you who are charging me with being a
thief? Is it to you I am to account for my actions, to defend myself
or to plead guilty?"

She shook her head.

"No," she answered. "I have said almost my last word to you upon
this subject. All that I have to ask of you is this. If that
pocket-book is in your possession, empty it first of its contents,
then go over it carefully with your fingers and see if there is not
a secret pocket. If you discover that, I think that you will find
in it a sealed document. If you find that document, you must bring
it to me."

The lights went down. The voice of the waiter murmured something
in his ears.

"It is after hours," Mademoiselle Idiale said, "but Luigi does not
wish to disturb us. Still, perhaps we had better go."

They passed down the room. To Laverick it was all - like a dream -
the laughing crowd, the flushed men and bright-eyed women, the
lowered lights, the air of voluptuousness which somehow seemed to
have enfolded the place. In the hall her maid came up. A small