"They'll have to go in the Naval Estimates," cried Mr. Llewellyn John, who was feeling almost jovial now the tension of the past twenty-four hours had been removed. "From the first," proceeded Malcolm Sage, "it was obvious that this theft was planned either at the Admiralty or at the War Office." "That is absurd!" cried Sir Lyster with heat, whilst Lord Beamdale leaned forward, his usually apathetic expression of indifference giving place to one of keen interest. "I accepted the assurance that only three people in this house knew of the existence of the document," Malcolm Sage proceeded, as if there had been no interruption. "There was no object in any of those three persons stealing that to which they had ready access." Lord Beamdale nodded his agreement with the reasoning. "Therefore," continued Malcolm Sage, "the theft must have been planned by someone who knew about the document before it came here, and furthermore knew that it was to be here at a certain time. To confirm this hypothesis we have the remarkable circumstances that the blank paper substituted for the original document was, in quality and the number of sheets, identical with that of the document itself." "Good," ejaculated Lord Beamdale, himself a keen mathematician. Mr. Llewellyn John and Sir Lyster exchanged glances. "It was almost, but not quite, obvious that the exchange had been effected by a woman." "How obvious?" enquired Mr. Llewellyn John. "'Few women pass unperfumed to the grave,'" quoted Malcolm Sage. "I think it was Craddock who said that," he added, and Mr. Llewellyn John made a mental note of the phrase. "The handle of the safe door was corrugated, and the lacquer had worn off, leaving it rough to the touch. When I kneeled down before the safe it was not to examine the metal work, but to see if the thief had left a scent." "A scent?" repeated Sir Lyster. "On the handle of the door there was a distinct trace of perfume, very slight, but I have a keen sense of smell, although a great smoker. On the document itself there was also evidence of a rather expensive perfume, not unlike that used by Miss Blair. Furthermore, it was bent in a rather peculiar manner, which might have resulted from its being carried in the belt of a woman's frock. It might, of course, have been mere chance," he added; "but the envelope did not show a corresponding bend." Again Lord Beamdale nodded appreciatively. "Although several people have had an opportunity of taking a wax impression of the key, the most likely were Miss Blair and Walters-- that, however, was a side issue." "How?" enquired Sir Lyster. "Because primarily we were concerned with making the criminal himself or herself divulge the secret." "That's why you would not allow the loss to be made known," broke in Mr. Llewellyn John. "The thief," continued Malcolm Sage, with a slight inclination of his head, "would in all probability seize the first safe opportunity of getting rid of the plunder."