It was a good thing that the sun parlor was empty and the crush around
the table where the ices were being served kept our friends from
returning. Nyoda put the necklace into a jardinier containing a
monstrous fern and we looked around for a way out. We thought we would
slip out to the garage and get the Glow-worm. The sun parlor must have
had a door leading to the outside, but it was so full of plants in pots
and jardiniers that if there was a door it was covered up. We fled back
into the conservatory, where couples were sitting all over, but there
was no outside door from there. After that we got into a library filled
with people playing cards at tables. We were looking anxiously around
for a door into the hall which led to the porte-cochere entrance when
we saw the maid Carrie come into the room with a tray full of glasses.
When she saw us standing there she came up to us and under the pretense
of offering us refreshments she whispered: "You are looking for the way
out? Follow me."

We followed her across the room and out the door at the opposite side,
which opened into a small reception-room. There stood the footman with
the vein in his nose and without a word he led the way through various
rooms and hallways to the porte-cochere entrance. We passed out
quickly, and to our surprise there stood the Glow-worm under the porte-
cochere with the lamps all lighted and the tanks filled. In a moment we
were speeding down that driveway again and out into the midnight. The
events of the evening were whirling through our heads. As yet we could
make neither head nor tail to them. Bit by bit we began to see the
significance of things, although, of course, the whole story was not
clear to us until a day later, when things came to a head and the
resulting explosion cleared up all mysteries.

This much we did understand, however, that someone had stolen a diamond