She was destined again to be interrupted. This time the visitor was a good-looking girl, whose forearms were gauntletted in shiny leather. It was the typist who had followed Mr. Marl’s movements with such curiosity. Thalia leant back in her chair as the newcomer carefully closed the door behind her and sat down. “Well, Macroy, what’s biting you?” she asked inelegantly. The words did not seem to harmonise with the delicate refinement of face, and not for the first time did Milly Macroy look at the girl wonderingly. “Who’s the old nut?” she asked. “An admirer,” replied Thalia calmly. “You do attract ’em, kid,” commented Milly Macroy, with some envy, and there was a little pause. “Well?” asked Thalia. “You haven’t come here to discuss my amours, have you?” Milly smiled furtively. “If amours is French for boys, I haven’t,” she said. “I’ve come to have a straight talk with you, Drummond.” “Straight talks are meat and drink to me,” said Thalia Drummond. “Do you remember the money that went out by registered post last Friday to the Sellinger Corporation?” Thalia nodded. “Well, I suppose you know that they claim that when the package arrived it contained nothing but paper?” “Is that so?” asked Thalia. “Mr. Brabazon has said nothing to me about it,” and she returned the other’s scrutinising glance without faltering. “I packed that money in the envelope,” said Milly Macroy slowly, “and you had it to check. There’s only you and me in this business, Miss Drummond, and one of us pinched the money, and I’ll swear it wasn’t me.” “Then it must be me,” said Thalia with an innocent smile. “Really, Macroy, that’s a fairly serious accusation to make against an innocent female.” The admiration in Milly’s eyes increased. “You’re a Thorough-Bad, if ever there was one!” she said. “Now, look here, kid, let’s put all our cards on the table. A month ago, soon after you came to the bank, there was a hundred note missing from the Foreign Exchange desk.” “Well?” asked Thalia when she paused. “Well, I happen to know that you had it and that it was changed by you at Bilbury’s in the Strand. I can tell you the number if you want to know.” Thalia swung round and looked at the other under lowered brows. “What have we here?” she asked in mock consternation. “A female sleuth! Heavens, I am indeed undone!” The extravagant mockery of it all took Milly aback. “You’ve got ice in your brain!” she said. She leant forward and laid her hand on the girl’s arm. “There may be trouble over this Sellinger business, and you will want all the friends you can get.” “So will you, for the matter of that,” said Thalia coolly. “You handled the money.” “And you took it,” said the other, in a matter-of-fact tone. “Don’t let us have any argument about it, Drummond. If we stick together there’ll be no trouble at all--I can swear that the envelope was sealed in my presence and that the money was there.”