"Dear me!" said her uncle, glancing at his watch; "but I saw him fifteen minutes ago! It has just gone nine." Then, recalling Severac Bablon's boastful message: "He has not dared to attempt it! Unless--can it be that he is arrested? Tell Truman to send the inspector here, Mary." The girl, with a little puzzled frown on her forehead, withdrew, and almost immediately a heavy step sounded in the library, and Chief-Inspector Sheffield, pushing past the footman, burst unceremoniously into the conservatory. His face was flushed, and his eyes were angrily bright. "We've been hoaxed, sir!" he cried. "We've been hoaxed!" Mr. Belford raised a white hand. "My dear inspector," he said, "be calm, I beg of you! Will you not take a seat and explain this matter to me?" Sheffield dropped into a chair, but the flow of excited words would not be stayed nor dammed. "He's tricked us again!" he burst out. "I suspect what he wanted, sir, and I rely on you to give me all the help you can! I know Paul Harley has got hold of evidence that we couldn't get; but a C.I.D. man can't spend a week making love to Lady Mary Evershed's maid----" "But others are better able to devote that amount of time to my maid, I suppose?" The interruption startled Mr. Belford out of his habitual calm, and startled the detective into sudden silence. Lady Mary stood at the door of the conservatory. "I am sorry to appear as an eavesdropper," she continued; "but, as a matter of fact, I had never left the study!" "Er--Mary," began the Home Secretary, but for once in a way he was at a loss for words. He knew from experience that the most obstreperous friend "opposite" was easier to deal with than a pretty niece. "Zoe is here with me, too," said Mary, and the frizzy head of Zoe Oppner appeared over her friend's shoulder. "We are sorry to have overheard Mr. Sheffield's words, but I think we have heard too much not to ask to hear more. Do I understand, inspector, that someone has been spying on my maid?" Inspector Sheffield glanced at the Right Hon. Walter Belford, and read an appeal in the eyes behind the pince-nez. He squared his shoulders in a manner that had something admirably manly about it--and told a straightforward lie. "One of the Pinkerton men engaged by Mr. Oppner tried to get some letters from your maid, I believe; but there's not a scrap of evidence on the market, so he must have failed!" "Evidence of what?" asked Zoe Oppner sharply. Mr. Belford nervously tapped his fingers upon the chair-arm. "Of your friendship, and Lady Mary's with Severac Bablon!" replied the inspector boldly. Lady Mary was pale, and her eyes grew wide; but the American girl laughed with undisguised glee. "Severac Bablon has never done a dirty thing yet," she said. "If we knew him we should be proud of it! Come on, Mary! Mr. Belford, I'm almost ashamed of you! You're nearly as bad as pa!" They withdrew, and Mr. Belford heaved a great sigh of relief.