Braybrooke had roused his interest. A woman who lost jewels worth fifty
thousand pounds, and made no effort to get them back, must surely be an
extraordinary creature.

"They were stolen in Paris at the Gare du Nord out of a first-class
compartment reserved for Adela Sellingworth. That much came out through
her maid."

"And nothing was done?"

"I believe not. Adela Sellingworth is said to have behaved most
fatalistically when the story came out. She said the jewels were
gone long ago, and there was an end of it, and that she couldn't be
bothered."

"Bothered!--about such a loss?"

"And, what's more, she got rid of the maid."

"Very odd!"

"It was. Very odd! Her abdication also was very odd and abrupt. She
changed her way of living, gave up society, let her hair go white,
allowed her face to do whatever it chose, and, in fact, became very much
what she is now--the most charming _old_ woman in London."

"Oh, is she charming?"

"Is she charming!"