"Joyce thinks she heard that. But Captain Steele, that poor woman scarcely knew what she was saying at that awful inquest, and she--well, she had reason to think there were women in Mr. Stannard's life, who would be willing,--in fact, who wished him to be divorced from her. She knew this, she knew of that note he had written,--it was not the first of that nature, and she imagined she heard that speech." "You make Mr. Stannard out a very bad man, Mrs. Faulkner." "I am sorry to speak ill of the dead, but he was not a good man in the ways we are talking of. In other respects, Eric Stannard had few faults. He was upright, honest and generous. He was kind and he was truthful. And he was extraordinarily brave and honourable. But he was inordinately selfish and of sybaritic instincts. He would not try to curb his admiration for a new and pretty face, and though absolutely loyal to his wife in honour and principle he was a flirt and a gallant, much in the way of a butterfly among the flowers. His genius it is not necessary to speak of. He is known here and abroad as one of the greatest artists of the century. And his wide and varied experiences, his cosmopolitan life and his waywardness of character may well have gained him enemies, who in a secret and clever manner found means to take his life." "Who will benefit financially by his death?" Captain Steele asked abruptly. "I haven't heard anything about the will yet, but I'm pretty certain, that outside of a few friendly bequests his fortune is divided between his wife and son, about equally." "And his jewel collection? Is not that valuable?" "Very. The emeralds mentioned in that note comprise a fortune in wonderfully matched stones. And there are many more. Yes, it is an exceedingly valuable lot." "He showed them to Mr. Truxton, that evening?" "To all of us. That was right after dinner. He showed only a few cases, but of very beautiful stones." "And then he put them away, where?" "I've no idea. They were not in sight, that I remember, when the Truxtons took leave. But I gave them no thought. I've often seen them, and after their exhibition, Mr. Stannard always puts them in his safe himself." "They have not been found in the safe." "Then he put them in some simple hiding-place. They will turn up. Unless, of course, there was a real burglar, whose motive was robbery." "But you do not think so?" "Frankly, I do not see how there could have been an intruder, unless dressed as a gentleman. No other could have gained access to the house." "The servants saw no stranger, in any sort of garb?" "They say so," returned Beatrice, thoughtfully. "Don't overlook the possibility of an accomplice among the servants. I've no reason to think this, but such things have happened." "They have indeed, and I assure you we have not overlooked the chance of it." VII Natalie, Not Joyce