At length she saw it projecting slowly across the slightly illuminated surface.  Formless, save for the outreaching hand, it passed the casement’s edge, nearing with pauses and hesitations the open gap beyond through which the neglected sapphires beamed with steady lustre.  Would she ever see the hand itself appear between the dresser and the window frame?  Yes, there it comes,—­ small, delicate, and startlingly white, threading that gap—­ darting with the suddenness of a serpent’s tongue toward the dresser and disappearing again with the pendant in its clutch.

As she realizes this,—­she is but young, you know,—­as she sees her bait taken and the hardly expected event fulfilled, her pent-up breath sped forth in a sigh which sent the intruder flying, and so startled herself that she sank back in terror on her pillow.

The breakfast-call had sounded its musical chimes through the halls.  The Ambassador and his wife had responded, so had most of the young gentlemen and ladies, but the daughter of the house was not amongst them, nor Miss Strange, whom one would naturally expect to see down first of all.

These two absences puzzled Mr. Driscoll.  What might they not portend?  But his suspense, at least in one regard, was short.  Before his guests were well seated, Miss Driscoll entered from the terrace in company with Captain Holliday.  In her arms she carried a huge bunch of roses and was looking very beautiful.  Her father’s heart warmed at the sight.  No shadow from the night rested upon her.

But Miss Strange!—­where was she?  He could not feel quite easy till he knew.

“Have any of you seen Miss Strange?” he asked, as they sat down at table.  And his eyes sought the Inseparables.

Five lovely heads were shaken, some carelessly, some wonderingly, and one, with a quick, forced smile.  But he was in no mood to discriminate, and he had beckoned one of the servants to him, when a step was heard at the door and the delinquent slid in and took her place, in a shamefaced manner suggestive of a cause deeper than mere tardiness.  In fact, she had what might be called a frightened air, and stared into her plate, avoiding every eye, which was certainly not natural to her.  What did it mean? and why, as she made a poor attempt at eating, did four of the Inseparables exchange glances of doubt and dismay and then concentrate their looks upon his daughter?  That Alicia failed to notice this, but sat abloom above her roses now fastened in a great bunch upon her breast, offered him some comfort, yet, for all the volubility of his chief guests, the meal was a great trial to his patience, as well as a poor preparation for the hour when, the noble pair gone, he stepped into the library to find Miss Strange awaiting him with one hand behind her back and a piteous look on her infantile features.