being conducted with ruthless persistence. Her head was buried in her
hands. She did not even glance at the contents of her trunk, which
were now overflowing the room. Suddenly she was conscious of another
pause in the proceedings, a half-spoken exclamation from the
detective. She looked up. From within the folds of an evening gown he
had withdrawn a small, official-looking dispatch box of black tin,
tied with red tape, and with great seals hanging from either end.

"What is this?" he asked.

Katharine stared at it with wide-open eyes.

"I have never seen it before," she declared.

There was another painful, significant silence. Crawshay bent forward
and examined the seals through his glass.

"This," he announced presently, "is the official seal of a neutral
Embassy. You see how the packet is addressed?"

"I see," the detective admitted, "but, considering the way in which we
have found it, you are not suggesting, I hope, that we should not
open it?"

"Opened it certainly must be," Crawshay admitted, "but not by us in
this manner. When you have finished your search, I should be glad if
you will bring both packets with you to the captain's room."

Brightman silently resumed his labours. Nothing further, however, was
found. The two men stood up together.