“They were there this morning,” I said.  “It was arranged that I should examine the contents of the safe the first thing, and take any finished work over to the War Office.  Do you remember who has been in the room to-day, sir?”

“Yourself, myself, and the woman whom you brought here an hour or so ago.”

“Mrs. Smith-Lessing?” I exclaimed.

“Precisely!” the Duke remarked, drily.

“Did you leave her alone here?” I asked.

“For two minutes only,” the Duke answered.  “I was called up on the telephone from the House of Lords.  I did not imagine that there could be the slightest risk in leaving her, for without the knowledge of that word Magenta the safe would defy a professional locksmith.”

“You will forgive my suggesting it, your Grace,” I said, with some hesitation, “but you have not, I presume, had occasion to go to the safe during the day?”

“I have not,” the Duke answered tersely.

“Then I cannot suggest any explanation of the opening of the safe,” I admitted.  “It was impossible for Mrs. Smith-Lessing to have opened it unless she knew the code word.”

“The question is,” the Duke said quietly, “did she know it?”

Then I realized the object of this cross-examination.  The colour flared suddenly into my cheeks, and as suddenly left them.  The absence of those papers was extraordinary to me.  I utterly failed to understand it.

“I think I know what you mean, sir,” I said.  “It is true that Mrs. Smith-Lessing is my stepmother.  I believe it is true, too, that she is connected with the French Secret Police.  I was there this afternoon—­you yourself sent me.  But I did not tell Mrs. Smith-Lessing the code word, and I know nothing of the disappearance of those documents.”

Then Ray moved forward and placed deliberately upon the table the roll of papers which I had given up to him a few hours ago.

“What about these?” he asked, with biting scorn.  “Tell the Duke and Lord Cheisford where I found them!  Let us hear your glib young tongue telling the truth for once, sir.”

Both the Duke and Lord Chelsford were obviously startled.  Ray had always been my friend and upholder.  He spoke now with very apparent enmity.

“Perhaps you would prefer to tell the story yourself,” I answered.  “I will correct you if it is necessary.”

“Very well,” he answered.  “I will tell the story, and a pitiful one it is.  This boy is watched, as we all know, for, owing to my folly in ignoring his antecedents, a great trust has been reposed in him.  News was brought to me that he had been seen with his father and Mrs. Smith-Lessing in Gattini’s Restaurant.  Later, that he had found his way to their lodging.  I followed him there.  He may have gone there with an errand from you, Duke, but when I arrived he was doing a little business on his own account, and these papers were in the act of passing from him to his father.”