“Yes. I’ve been expecting a little subtle ridicule from you, Alec,” Roger said with mock humility. “No doubt I deserve it.” “I’m glad you’re beginning to realise that,” retorted Alec pleasantly. “Yes, for drawing the only possible conclusions from a given set of facts. Well, I suppose we shall have to go back to the beginning again, and start to draw some impossible ones instead.” “Oh, Lord!” Alec groaned. “But seriously, Alec,” said Roger with a change of tone, “things are going very curiously. Those jewels ought not to have been in the safe at all, you know. Nor the money either, for that matter. It’s all wrong.” “Most annoying when things break rules like that, isn’t it? Well, I suppose you’ll allow now that Mrs. Plant _was_ speaking the truth this morning, after all.” “I suppose I shall have to,” said Roger reluctantly. “For the present, at any rate. But it’s very, very extraordinary.” “That Mrs. Plant should have been speaking the truth? It seemed to me far more extraordinary that she should have been lying, as you were so jolly sure.” “All right, Alec. Don’t get rattled. No, I wasn’t meaning that exactly. But that she should have been so remarkably agitated about those jewels of hers, as if she thought that somebody was going to steal them! And then that yarn of hers that she thought the police would take them and she wouldn’t get them back. No, say what you like, Alec, it _is_ extraordinary.” “Women are extraordinary,” said Alec wisely. “Humph! Certainly Mrs. Plant is.” “Well, at any rate, she’s exonerated, I take it.” “No, that she isn’t,” said Roger with decision. “That lady isn’t free from suspicion yet by any means. After all, the matter of the jewels is only one of several curious circumstances. But look here, Alec; another remarkable thing has cropped up since I saw you last. I’m going to tell you, because I promised I’d share anything new with you at the very beginning. But I won’t unless you’ll promise to take it quite calmly, and not smite me with that great ham-fist of yours or throw yourself despairingly into a rose bush or anything. You know, you’re a very difficult sort of person to work with on this sort of job, Alec.” “Fire away!” Alec grunted. “What’s happened now?” “You won’t like it, but I can’t help that. After all, I’m only telling you facts, not theories; and there’s no getting away from them, however unwelcome they may be. It’s about Lady Stanworth this time. Listen.” And Roger embarked upon a voluble recital of The Strange Behaviour of Lady Stanworth. Chapter XII Hidden Chambers and What-Nots “Oh!” said Alec carefully, when Roger had finished. “You see? I carefully refrain from drawing any deduction. Aloud, at any rate. All I say is that it _looks_ funny.” “Lots of things seem to look funny to you, Roger,” Alec remarked tolerantly.