"But at least you can give me some idea of when the jewels were
placed in the safe."

"It must have been before the supper, right after our return from
the theater."

"So?" considered Kennedy. "Then that would mean that they might
have been taken by any one, don't you see? Why did he place them
in the safe so soon, instead of wearing them the rest of the
evening?"

"I hadn't thought of that way of looking at it," she admitted.
"Why, when we came home from the theater I remember it had been so
warm that Mr. Mansfield's collar was wilted and his dress shirt
rumpled. He excused himself, and when he returned he was not
wearing the diamonds. We noticed it, and Miss Hargrave expressed a
wish that she might wear the big diamond at the opening night of
'The Astor Cup.' Mr. Mansfield promised that she might and nothing
more was said about it."

"Did you notice anything else at the dinner--no matter how
trivial?" asked Kennedy.

Helen Grey seemed to hesitate, then said, in a low voice, as
though the words were wrung from her:

"Of course, the party and the supper were given ostensibly to Miss
Hargrave. But--lately--I have thought he was paying quite as much
attention to Mina Leitch."