“I do not think,” said Kenyon, slowly, “that you refer to yourself. It is not possible.” She raised her brows inquiringly, but said nothing. “A girl of your parts should find no difficulty in obtaining information. There is a bird, I believe, that always waits until some other bird has built a nest. Then it calmly takes possession. I have always thought this a serviceable talent.” “I do not think I understand.” “I will be more illuminative. A man runs a desperate risk and works very hard to achieve a certain thing. When the victory is in his hands, a woman snatches it from him.” She gave a gasp of wonder; her great, startled eyes searched his face. “It was you!” she said. “It was you--last night!” “And, I think,” smiled he, “that it was also you.” “You were masked,” she said. “A masked burglar!” There was terror in her manner and voice, and she shrank a little from him. “I did not recognize you; I was too frightened.” “You were not too frightened to remain and lay a little plan to beat me out,” remarked he, and there was an admiration in his tone that caused her to flush rosily. “But, then,” slowly, “it was, somehow, about the sort of thing I would have expected of you. Miss Anna did not seem at all the girl for such an undertaking, though of course I thought at first it was she.” “Why _of course_?” she asked, a little resentfully. “Because of her manner last night, when I talked with her on the stairs.” “You talked with her--on the stairs!” She half arose in her chair. But almost instantly she recovered her self-possession, though the wide-open eyes told plainly of the excitement that her words had betrayed. “I--I had not heard of it,” she said, trying to smile. “It sounds interesting; pray tell me about it.” “It’s no great story. Anna was frightened when she met me on the stairs leading to the second floor; she said some things that meant nothing, but her manner caused me to suspect much. Later I was convinced that I was right, by her stealing downstairs to assure herself that I was gone.” “What did you suspect?” “That there was another design upon the safe beside my own--that she had someone concealed in the house who was to help her.” “No, no, that can’t be true. Anna knows nothing of the packet.” He looked at her in surprise. “Then you and she were not partners, so to speak; you knew nothing of her movements?” “I don’t understand.” “I was so impressed with the notion that she was about to attempt some secret design, that when you caught the glimmer of my torch in the dark hall and came to the office door, I felt sure that it was she.” A startled look came upon the face of Dallas; her voice was low and frightened as she exclaimed: “When was this?” “Before I began operations upon the safe. Don’t you remember? You opened the office door and listened. You could see nothing, the darkness was so thick. You were frightened; and you whispered: ‘Who’s there?’ Then you went slowly down the hall.”