"Skeleton key," was Mr. Pyecroft's brief explanation. "Mrs. De Peyster, we three will watch the door to see she doesn't get out--there may have been more than one of her. You go and telephone for a locksmith and the police." "All right," said Mary. "It's--it's all over!" breathed Mrs. De Peyster. "Oh, oh! What shall we ever do?" wailed Olivetta, collapsing into a chair. "The police!--she mustn't go!" gasped Mrs. De Peyster. "Open the door, Matilda, quick!" Then in a weak, quavering voice she called to her besiegers:-- "Wait!" After which she wilted away into the nearest chair--which chanced to be directly beneath the awesome, unbending, blue-blue-blooded Mrs. De Peyster of the golden frame, whose proud composure it was beyond things mortal to disturb. CHAPTER XXII A FAMILY REUNION Matilda's shaking hand unlocked the door. Jack lunged in, behind him Mr. Pyecroft and Judge Harvey, and behind them Mary. On Jack's face was a look of menacing justice. But at sight of the trembling turnkey the invading party suddenly halted, and Jack's stern jaw relaxed and almost dropped from its sockets. "Matilda!" he exclaimed. And from behind him, like a triplicate echo, sounded the others' "Matilda!" "Good--good-morning, Mr. Jack," quavered Matilda, locking the door again. Then the four sighted Olivetta. "What, you, Olivetta!" Jack and Judge Harvey cried in unison. "Yes, it's I, Jack," she said with an hysterical laugh. "I just thought I'd call in to express--it's no more than is proper, my being her cousin, you know,--to express my sympathy to your mother." "Your sympathy to my mother?" "Yes. To--to tell her how--how sorry I am that she's dead," elucidated Olivetta. A little hand gripped Jack's arm. "Jack!" He turned his head and his eyes followed Mary's pointing finger. "Mother!" He walked amazedly up before Mrs. De Peyster's palsied figure. "Mother!" In the same instant Judge Harvey was beside her. "Caroline!" he breathed, like one seeing a ghost. "Ye-yes," she mumbled. "Then you're not dead?" "N-no," she mumbled. The Judge and Jack and Mary gazed down at her in uttermost astoundment. To them was added Mr. Pyecroft. His bewilderment, for the moment, was the greatest of the group; for the likeness between the black-garbed, fled Angelica, and this real Mrs. De Peyster in lavender dressing-gown, was more remarkable than he had ever dreamed. "Thank God!" quavered Judge Harvey. And then, voicing the general amazement: "But--but--I don't understand! What has happened? How do you come here?" Mrs. De Peyster, with a shivering glance at them all, and one of particular terror at her recent confederate, Mr. Pyecroft, made a last rally to save herself. "My explanation--that is, all I know about this affair--is really very simple. I--you see--I very unexpectedly returned home--and--and discovered this--this situation. That is all." She gathered a little more courage. "I do not need to inform you that I have been away."