"She has been here this afternoon. This is her work," Duge said grimly. "We had some trouble before, you know, about that Canadian Pacific report. It was after that, that I was obliged to send her away altogether." The young man looked swiftly around the room. "Has she taken anything?" he began. "Nothing of importance," Phineas Duge answered calmly, "but that doesn't alter the fact that she might have done so!" CHAPTER XIII BEARDING THE LION Early the next morning, Littleson's automobile dashed up to the door of Weiss' office. Without even waiting to be announced, its owner pushed his way through the clerk's office and entered the private room of his friend. "Heard the news?" he demanded quickly. "No! What is it?" Weiss asked. "Phineas Duge is in the city. He was going into Harrigold's as I came out. I tried to speak to him, but he cut me dead. They say that he has sent for all his brokers, and is coming on this market heavily!" "Then his illness was a fake after all," Weiss declared. "We can't stand this, though. I'll get on to his office. We must speak to him." He gave some rapid instructions to a clerk whom he had summoned, then took a printed sheet of prices from a machine which ticked at his elbow. "If it's war," he muttered, "we shall have to fight hard, but what I don't understand is why he wants to break with us." The clerk re-entered the room. "There is a young lady here," he said, "who wishes to speak to you, sir." "Name?" Weiss demanded curtly. "Miss Virginia Longworth," he answered. Weiss and Littleson exchanged quick glances. "Show her in at once," Weiss ordered. "What do you suppose this means?" he asked, turning to Littleson. The young man had no time to reply. Almost immediately Virginia was ushered into the office. She was very pale, and there were dark lines under her eyes. Stephen Weiss rose at once, and Littleson hastened to offer her a chair, but she took no notice. They could see that she was agitated, and she seemed to find some difficulty in commencing what she had to say. "What can I have the pleasure of doing for you, Miss Longworth?" Weiss asked. "I hope that you have come to tell me--" "I have come to tell you that you are both thieves!" she interrupted. "If you do not give me back that paper, I don't care what my uncle says, I shall go to the police station." The men exchanged swift glances. Littleson suddenly started. He drew Weiss on one side. "Stella has got it," he whispered, in a tone of triumph. "Get rid of this girl easily. That is what she must mean." Weiss turned round and faced her. "My dear Miss Longworth," he said, "a thief I would have been if I could have found the chance, and a thief I would have made of you if you would have stolen that paper for me, because I considered that it belonged to us, and we had a moral right to take it. But the fact remains that we have not got it. When I heard your name announced I hoped that you had brought it to us."