attendance--I know my way. And--don't--touch--that--man--till I
return."

"Very good, sir."

Maitland stepped over to the safe, glanced within, cursorily,
replaced a bundle of papers which he did not recall disturbing,
closed the door and twirled the combination.

"Nothing gone," he announced. An inarticulate gurgle from the
prostrate man drew a black scowl from Maitland. Recovering, "Good
morning," he said politely to the butler, and striding out of the
house by the front door, was careful to slam that behind him, ere
darting into the shadows.

The moon was down, the sky a cold, opaque grey, overcast with a
light drift of cloud. The park seemed very dark, very dreary; a
searching breeze was sweeping inland from the Sound, soughing
sadly in the tree-tops; a chill humidity permeated the air,
precursor of rain. The young man shivered, both with chill and
reaction from the tension of the emergency just past.

He was aware of an instantaneous loss of heart, a subsidence of
the elation which had upheld him throughout the adventure; and to
escape this, to forget or overcome it, took immediately to his
heels, scampering madly for the road, oppressed with fear lest he
should find the girl gone--with the jewels.

That she should prove untrue, faithless, lacking even that honor
which proverbially obtains in the society of criminals--a