He had been looking, dreamy and indifferent, out into the darkness. Now he turned to me, a little surprised, as if he was wondering at my questions: "I suppose so. He knew all my crowd up there; they’re forever running back and forth from one place to the other. They know everything, and they’re the greatest gossips and snobs in the country. I’ve no doubt he heard it talked threadbare—the boss walking home with Mrs. Janney’s secretary. Probably gave their social sensibilities a jolt." Something lifted me out of my chair, carried me across the balcony, plunked me down beside him on a lower step. I craned up my head near to his and I’ll never forget the expression of his face, sort of blank, as if he wasn’t sure whether I’d gone crazy or was going to kiss him. "Some one who knew the family, some one who knew it was out that night, some one who knew Miss Maitland had the combination, some one who could have got a key to the front door, some one _the dogs were friendly with_!" He was staring at me as if he was hypnotized—getting a gleam of it but not the full light. I put my hands on his shoulders and gave them a shake. "You simp, wake up. It’s Willitts!" CHAPTER XXIV—CARDS ON THE TABLE In spite of Molly’s excited certainty that Willitts was the thief, Ferguson was not convinced. He met her impetuous demand for the valet’s arrest with a recommendation for a fuller knowledge of his activities on the night of the robbery. Willitts had gone to the movies with the Grasslands servants and if he had been with them the whole evening he was as innocent as Dixon or Isaac. She had to agree and promised to do nothing until she had satisfied herself that his movements tallied with their findings. Ferguson had a restless night. There was matter on his mind to keep him awake; he was fearful that Suzanne might make some false step. She was at best a shifty, unstable creature, how much more so now strained to the breaking point. He felt he ought to be in town where he could keep her under his eye, and decided to motor in in the morning. Also he began to think that Molly was probably right; she was shrewd and experienced, knew more of such matters than he. He would go to the Whitney office and put the Willitts’ affair in their hands, then run up to the St. Boniface, take a room, and have a look in at Suzanne.