that half of the swinging window she had so carefully left shut.

At length she saw it projecting slowly across the slightly
illuminated surface. Formless, save for the outreaching hand, it
passed the casement's edge, nearing with pauses and hesitations
the open gap beyond through which the neglected sapphires beamed
with steady lustre. Would she ever see the hand itself appear
between the dresser and the window frame? Yes, there it comes,--
small, delicate, and startlingly white, threading that gap--
darting with the suddenness of a serpent's tongue toward the
dresser and disappearing again with the pendant in its clutch.

As she realizes this,--she is but young, you know,--as she sees
her bait taken and the hardly expected event fulfilled, her pent-
up breath sped forth in a sigh which sent the intruder flying,
and so startled herself that she sank back in terror on her
pillow.

The breakfast-call had sounded its musical chimes through the
halls. The Ambassador and his wife had responded, so had most of
the young gentlemen and ladies, but the daughter of the house was
not amongst them, nor Miss Strange, whom one would naturally
expect to see down first of all.

These two absences puzzled Mr. Driscoll. What might they not
portend? But his suspense, at least in one regard, was short.
Before his guests were well seated, Miss Driscoll entered from
the terrace in company with Captain Holliday. In her arms she
carried a huge bunch of roses and was looking very beautiful. Her
father's heart warmed at the sight. No shadow from the night