"Please may I trouble you with these for a moment?" "Indeed you may. Pray excuse my negligence," Ray gallantly exclaimed, as he extended his hands for them. She filled them both, and then gracefully descended to the ground. "You can wait, James, to take Mr. Palmer back," she quietly remarked, as they turned to mount the steps of the residence before which they had stopped. "Pray do not ask your man to do that, Mrs. Vanderbeck; I can take a car just as well," the young man exclaimed. "No, indeed," she returned, with a brilliant smile, "I am sure it would be very uncourteous in me to allow you to do so after your kindness in coming with me." She rang the bell, and the door was almost immediately opened by a colored servant, when the beautiful woman led the way to a small reception room on the right of the hall, where she invited her companion to be seated, while she went to arrange for the interview with her husband. She glided gracefully from the room, and Ray, depositing upon the table the packages he held, began to remove his gloves, while he glanced about the elegant apartment, noticing its hangings and decorations and many beautiful pictures. Presently a gentleman of very prepossessing appearance entered, and Ray, arising, was astonished to behold, instead of the invalid he had pictured to himself, a man in the prime of life and apparently in perfect health. He bowed politely. "Mr. Vanderbeck, I presume?" he remarked, inquiringly. The gentleman smilingly returned his salute, without responding to the name, then courteously asked him to take a seat. Ray took the proffered chair, and then observed, although he wondered why Mrs. Vanderbeck did not return: "As I suppose you know, I have called, at the request of Mrs. Vanderbeck, to have you examine some--Good heavens!" And he suddenly leaped from his chair as if shot from it by some powerful but concealed spring, his face as pale as his shirt bosom, great drops of cold perspiration breaking out upon his forehead. He had put his hand in his pocket as he spoke, to take from it the package of diamonds, but--_it was gone_! "Pray do not be so excited, my young friend," calmly observed his companion, "but sit down again and tell me your errand." But Ray Palmer did not hear or heed him. He had rushed to the window, where, with a trembling hand, he swept aside the heavy draperies and looked out upon the street for the _coupé_ in which he had been brought to that house. It was not in sight, and the fearful truth burst upon him--he had been the victim of an accomplished sharper. He had been robbed, and the clever thief had suddenly vanished, leaving no trace behind her. CHAPTER VII. A DESPERATE SITUATION.