He hailed a taxi and drove to a shop, a high-class jeweller and gem-merchant in the neighbourhood of St. James’s to whom he was not known personally as he was at so many Bond Street establishments. He asked to see the proprietor in his private room and asked him his fee for giving him his opinion on what was supposed to be a very fine pearl necklace. In a very short time he was in possession of the information he sought. The pearls were pronounced to be splendid imitations, likely to deceive anybody except an expert, but worth as many shillings as the original necklace had cost pounds. His face set like a grim mask, he returned to Deanery Street and replaced the sham gems in the safe. The anonymous letter had told the truth, the writer of it had evidently known what had been going on in his household. CHAPTER XIX MISS ALMA BUCKLEY Miss Alma Buckley did not seem at all anxious for that interview so desired by young Sellars. He had written her a very polite letter, forwarded by her obliging agent, stating that he wished to see her for a few minutes on a private matter which it was difficult to enter into by correspondence, and inviting her to name a day and hour suitable to herself. He had found out that she was appearing nightly at certain suburban music-halls, and judged from this fact that she would appoint a morning or an afternoon. He waited three days for an answer, but as none came, he dispatched a second missive expressing his fear that his first had miscarried, and begging the favour of a reply by return. By return it came, a very brief and curt note but well-expressed, written in the third person. “Miss Buckley has to acknowledge the receipt of two letters from Mr. Sellars, asking for an interview on a private matter. She has no knowledge of the writer, and before granting his request, would like to know the nature of the business on which he is desirous of seeing her.” Obviously not an ill-educated person to whom the use of the third person would have presented numerous pitfalls. Sellars did not relish the tone of her letter at all, and did not quite know how to proceed. He could probably gain admittance by pretending he was engaged in some professional enterprise in which he would be glad of her co-operation. But he would have to abandon that attitude when he got there, and most certainly arouse her resentment by admitting that it was a trick to enable him to steal a march upon her. He would then, in all probability, be unceremoniously bundled out. Miss Buckley dated her letter from No. 5 Elvenden Mansions, Kew Bridge, evidently a block of flats. He thought the best way would be to take direct action by calling there without preliminary announcement, trusting to luck to find the lady at home and willing to admit him. He arrived there about twelve o’clock on the morning of the day after that on which he had received her somewhat brusque letter.