My sister stood like a statue. Only the rise and fall of her bosom showed that she was alive. Pale as death, her eyes riveted on the speaker, who was holding his right hand markedly behind him, her unbound hair streaming over her shoulders, she made a beautiful and arresting picture. A kimono of softest apricot, over which sprawled vivid embroideries, here in the guise of parti-coloured dragons, there in that of a wanton butterfly, swathed her from throat to foot. From the mouths of its gaping sleeves her shapely wrists and hands thrust out snow-white and still as sculpture. For a moment all eyes were upon her, as she stood motionless.... Then the man with the eye-glass screwed it back into his eye, and resumed his dictation.... The spell was broken. The packer left his work and, lifting a great chair bodily with apparent ease, set it noiselessly by my side. The master bowed again. "I congratulate you, madam, upon your great heart. I beg that you will join that gentleman." With a high head, My Lady Disdain swept to the spot indicated and sank into the chair. "Please lean right back.... Thank you." The cold steel was withdrawn from my throat, and I breathed more freely. Nobby wriggled to get to my sister, but I held him fast. "So it was burglars," said Daphne. "Looks like it," said I. I glanced at the leader, who had taken his seat upon the club-kerb. His right hand appeared to be resting upon his knee. "I think," said my sister, "I'll have a cigarette." I handed her one from the pile and lighted it from my own. As I did so-- "_Courage,_" I whispered. "_Jonah ne tardera pas._" "I beg," said the spokesman, "that you will not whisper together. It tends to create an atmosphere of mistrust." My sister inclined her head with a silvery laugh. "You have a large staff," she said. "That is my way. I am not a believer in the lone hand. But there you are. _Quot homines, tot sententicae,"_ and with that, he spread out his hands and shrugged his broad shoulders. Daphne raised her delicate eyebrows and blew out a cloud of smoke. "'The fewer men,'" she quoted, "'the greater share of--_plunder_.'" The shoulders began to shake. "_Touche,_" was the reply. "A pretty thrust, madam. But you must read further on. 'And gentlemen in _Mayfair_ now abed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here.' Shall we say that--er--honours are easy?" And the old villain fairly rocked with merriment. Daphne laughed airily. "Good for you," she said. "As a matter of fact, sitting here, several things look extremely easy." "So, on the whole, they are. Mind you, lookers-on see the easy side. And you, madam, are a very privileged spectator." "I have paid for my seat," flashed my sister. "Royally. Still, deadhead or not, a spectator you are, and, as such, you see the easy side. Now, one of the greatest dangers that can befall a thief is avarice." "I suppose you're doing this out of charity," I blurted.