both and was studying the impression of a woman's hand in the dust, and
nodding over it.

"That girl," deduced Anisty. "Novice, poor little fool!--or she wouldn't
have wasted time searching here for the jewels. Good looker, though--from
what little _he_"--with a glance at Maitland--"gave me a chance to see of
her. Seems to have snared him, all right, if she did miss the haul....
Little idiot! What right has a woman in this business, anyway? Well, here's
one thing that will never land me in the pen."

As, with nice care, he replaced both bowl and book, a door slammed below
stairs took him to the hall in an instant. Maitland's Panama was hanging on
the hat-rack, Maitland's collection of walking-sticks bristled in a stand
beneath it. Anisty appropriated the former and chose one of the latter.
"Fair exchange," he considered with a harsh laugh. "After all, he loses
nothing ... but the jewels."

He was out and at the foot of the stairs just as O'Hagan reached the ground
floor from the basement.

"Ah, O'Hagan!" The assumption of Maitland's ironic drawl was impeccable.
O'Hagan no more questioned it than he questioned his own sanity. "Here,
send this wire at once, please; and," pressing a coin into the ready palm,
"keep the change. I was hurried and didn't bother to call you. And, I say,
O'Hagan!" from the outer door:

"Yissor."

"If that fellow Snaith ever calls again, I'm not at home."