“He says that as you bought the necklace he must see you—­and the sooner the better.”

This new aspect of the matter seemed to make Mr. Prohack rather thoughtful.

* * * * *

III

Eve brought in to her husband, who had improved his moral stamina and his physical charm by means of the finest of his dressing-gowns, a dark, thin young man, clothed to marvellous perfection, with a much-loved moustache, and looking as fresh as if he was just going to a party.  Mr. Prohack of course recognised him as one of the guests.

“Good morning,” said Mr. Prohack.  “So you are the detective.”

“Yes, sir,” answered the detective, formally.

“Do you know, all the evening I was under the impression that you were First Secretary to the Czecho-Slovakian Legation.”

“No, sir,” answered the detective, formally.

“Well!  Well!  I think there is a proverb to the effect that appearances are deceptive.”

“Is there indeed, sir?” said the detective, with unshaken gravity.  “In our business we think that appearances ought to be deceptive.”

“Now talking of your business,” Mr. Prohack remarked with one of his efforts to be very persuasive.  “What about this unfortunate affair?”

“Yes, sir, what about it?” The detective looked askance at Eve.

“I suppose there’s no doubt the thing’s been stolen—­By the way, sit on the end of the bed, will you?  Then you’ll be near me.”

“Yes, sir,” said the detective, sitting down.  “There is no doubt the necklace has been removed by some one, either for a nefarious purpose or for a joke.”

“Ah!  A joke?” meditated Mr. Prohack, aloud.

“It certainly hasn’t been taken for a joke,” said Eve warmly.  “Nobody that I know well enough for them to play such a trick would dream of playing it.”

“Then,” said Mr. Prohack, “we are left all alone with the nefarious purpose.  I had a sort of a notion that I should meet the nefarious purpose, and here it is!  I suppose there’s little hope?”

“Well, sir.  You know what happens to a stolen pearl necklace.  The pearls are separated.  They can be sold at once, one at a time, or they can be kept for years and then sold.  Pearls, except the very finest, leave no trace when they get a fair start.”

“What I can’t understand,” Eve exclaimed, “is how it could have dropped off without me noticing it.”

“Oh!  I can easily understand that,” said Mr. Prohack, with a peculiar intonation.

“I’ve known ladies lose even their hair without noticing anything,” said the detective firmly.  “Not to mention other items.”

“But without anybody else noticing it either?” Eve pursued her own train of thought.

“Somebody did notice it,” said the detective, writing on a small piece of paper.

“Who?”