Miss Mephistopheles

details purchased it, in order to gratify their tastes. Its circulation was enormous, and its sale increase

e House of a we

last Sunday night, or, to speak more exactly, Monday morning, when the house of Caprice, the well-known actress, was entered, and jewels to the amount of ￡5000 were stolen. The hou

one. She sent at once for her servants, and an examination was made. It was found that the house had evidently been entered from the outside, as the window was not very far from the ground, and some ivy growing on the wall made a kind of natural ladder, which any man of ordinary agility could scale. Curiously enough Caprice's child, aged seven, was asleep in the room, but appears to have heard nothing. Next morning another examination was made, and it was found that the ivy was broken in several places, showing clearly the mode of entrance. The window ha

Floo

f First and

d, are in the front of the house, so that the most likely thing is that the burglar or burglars entered the grou

t would be easy to escape, or along the banks of the river, as shown by the other lines. In either case escape was perfectly easy. Of course the danger lay in detection whil

en he would be most likely to escape detection. We believe that a detective has gone down to Toorak to make inquiries, and we have no doubt that the thief w

investigate the robbery, as, for some extraordinary reason,

had for him the same fascination as an abstruse mathematical problem would have for an enthusiastic student. To Kilsip belonged the proud honour of having discovered this genius, and it seemed as though the pupil would soon surpass the master in his wonderful instinct for unravelling criminal puzzles. Mr. Naball was an ordinary-looking young man, who always dressed fashi

over the matter, and ventured all kinds of theories on the subject,

ill try and dispose of th

ned Naball, "if h

etly. "I told you that the man Villiers was see

wh

and Ca

aw him

pri

bly, "then she's the best pe

; "he was mixed up in that po

Midas

er Kitty Marchurst, wa

t Jarper and Vandeloup--one was hanged, the other committed s

ther's tone, "Villiers is a scoundrel, and wouldn't

had diamonds wort

ry one in Melbo

w where the

the room, and a t

t of the drawer of her looking-glass--a most unlikely place for a thief to

to explain this. He was about to reply, when the train having arr

g dark circles beneath them, which told of a sleepless night. When the two men entered

l to look after this affair,"

but, the fact is, I have not yet decided a

ds?"--began Fen

nd as the loss is mine, not yours, I w

discomfited Fenton, she addr

ct," she said graciously, "and then I wi

ing his keen eyes on her

ils of the robbery,"

on my dressing-table, I placed it in the drawer of my looking-glass, to save me the trouble of going to the safe. I gave a supper party on Sunday night, and when every one had gone away, I went upstairs to bed, and found the window open; recollecting where I ha

d silent for a minute, but just as Fe

madame," he said thoughtfully. "W

ight. I opened the drawer to g

he dia

re in th

you s

se would

hem previously, and left the

hook he

th me. No other key could have opened it, and had the case been forced, I would have seen it at onc

ssly at it, and went

kept the diamon

es

ersight not placing the

ui

e drawer of your looking-gla

on

nton in

"Everyone at the supper-table knew you kept

nced sharp

diamonds were always kept there, which they were not. I di

generally?" said

y guests, and I hardly think any of

he room when you made the rema

nd the door

paused

he diamonds were stolen between six o

e o'clock,"

gone by three; you mentioned where you kept them at th

my guests, sir," c

he detective quietly; "

lli

tells me you saw

f anger on the America

ted to see me. I saw him, gav

the diamonds, because he was hiding outside the win

t I think,"

it? I don't believe he stole them, and, whether he

our diamonds,"

rest, so Mr. Naball will have all his trouble for nothing. Should I desire to reopen the affair, I wi

after her in b

!" he cried, rising. "

ugged his

tigate. I must throw the affair up. But," also rising, and putting o

lent, and Fenton in great wra

he cried. "What is she g

n't k

have som

e ground under the window, through which the thief had made his exit. The flower-bed was filled

ken, so he fell on them in a heap--probably having missed his footing. Humph! Clever man, as he did not step again on the flower-bed, bu

course," said F

ind no trace of footmarks, as the lawn was dry, and the footp

rs would have been sure to be seen coming out of a private hous

he po

onnection with the Midas case, and has got a wholesome dread

epeated Fenton

ended at an iron fence, and beyond was the uncultivated vegetation, rank and unwholesome, that clothed the banks of the river. Between this and the grass, however, there was a strip of black earth, and this Na

is way," he said, a

have left the pl

the

d he would be afra

en the diamonds, he would have gone down by the bank of the

does thi

nd referred him to Caprice as to his interview, and right to come ou

in Heaven's

aball deliberately; "but I'll tell you what I think.

t understand

tole the diam

ype="