"You may--" Jane crisply. "I am not given to figments of the imagination."
"I congratulate you, miss. The safe was opened by no ordinary robber, as proved by the valuables left. Somebody who appreciated the contents of--of Miss Lauderdale's treasure committed the theft and in such a hurry that he or she did not wait to extract the contents, but took box and all. Later this person, not knowing that Mrs. Sturgis had been to the safe in the meantime and discovered the loss, found opportunity to replace the now-empty box and, in the hurry of closing the door, jarred the mechanism of the lock."
Mrs. Sturgis nodded; looked really quite encouraged. "That could have been done while I went up stairs to dress after sending to the Metropolitan for my niece. But I do hope you're not going to make the mistake of accusing my servants. They've been with me for years."
"I am not going to accuse any one, although servants have a way of making less honest friends who use them. I simply say that no professional turned this trick. The case is one for Central Office men. Even if it were in my line, I could not, under the circumstances, take the responsibility of it myself."
"Under what circumstances, Mr. Pope--that is, _Pape_? You don't intend to leave us--to desert us just when----"
Pape silenced Aunt Helene's protestations with a creditable gesture. "The lack of confidence in me--even suspicion of me--shown by Miss Lauderdale makes it impossible for me to proceed. I have gone as far as I can in a case where I'm not to be given a hint of the nature of the stolen article which I am asked to replace. Since, however, I've been called in, I must discharge my obligation as an officer of the law. Where is--oh, I see it. May I use your phone, Mrs. Sturgis?"
"Certainly. But w-what are you about to do?"
"To call up Headquarters and have a brace of bulls--beg pardon--a span of detectives sent up at once. We shall hope that they look more worthy of Miss Lauderdale's confidence."
With this dignified declaration Pape strode across the room to a telephone cabinet in the corner; sat down and lifted the receiver. But he never heard the response.
One ringless hand brushed past his lips and cupped the mouthpiece, another pressed down the hook. Jane's face, again disagreeable, strained, strange, bent over him. At just that moment he recalled that the line was said to be out of commission, a fact which they two appeared to have forgotten. Deeming the point of distance from Aunt Helene an advantage, he decided not to remind Jane, lest he silence what she was about to say.