The Jewel of Seven Stars

avelle

d three o'clock I felt anxious, and had once more that creepy feeling to which these last few nights had accustomed me; but the grey of the dawn, stealing round the edges of the blinds, came with inexpressible relief, followed by restfulness, went through the household. During the hot night my ears, strained to every sound, had been almost painfully troubled; as though my brain or sensoria were in anxious touch with them. Every breath of the Nurse or the rustle of her dress; every soft pat of slippered feet, as the Policeman went his rounds; every

at the picnic. There was even a suggestion of colour in her cheeks, which, however, looked startlingly white in contrast with her black brows and scarlet lips. With her restored strength, there seemed to

he was on guard I started off to bed, blinking my tired eyes in the ful

an," but since the exodus of the servants promoted to be butler pro tem. The stranger was speaking rather loudly, so that there was no difficulty in understanding his grievance. The servant man was respectfu

I come again at three, and you tell me he is still in bed, and is not awake yet. Where is Miss Trelawny? 'She is occupied and must not be disturbed!' Well, she must be disturbed! Or some one must. I am here about Mr. Trelawny's special business; and I have come from a place where servants always begin by saying No. 'No' isn't good enough for me this time! I've had three years of it, waiting outside doors and ten

ed his forehead. The servant

ike to leave any message, I will give it to Miss Trelawny; and if you will leave your address, she can communicate with you i

heels for six hours; knowing all the time that your master will be a hundred times angrier than I am, when he hears how the time has been fooled away. He would rather be waked out of a thousand sleeps than not see me just at present-and before it is too late. My God! it's simply dreadful, after all I've

he urgency and importance of his business; from

wny that this gentleman wants to see her particul

nswered in a tone of r

little boudoir across the h

the sec

of Miss Trelawny'

rbeck. I would give you my card, but they don't use cards where I've come f

ate surface of seams and wrinkles, and sun-scarred with the burning of the Desert. The Far East, the Tropic Seasons, and the Desert-each can have its colour mark. But all three are quite different; and an eye which has once known, can thenceforth easily distinguish them. The dusky pallor of one; the fierce red-brown of the other; and of the third, the dark, ingrained burning, as though it had become a permanent colour. Mr. Corbeck had

he Desert!" I tho

remained to cover up any such secondary and purely exoteric feeling as surprise. But as she spoke he never took his eyes off her; and I made a mental note t

duty in the sick-room when you called the first time, I should have seen you at once. Now will you k

or given any sign of consciousness; and I am in terrible trouble about him. Unhappily I am in great ignorance of my Father and his life. I only came to live with him a year ago; and I know nothing whatever of his affairs. I do not

minute; then he spoke, beginning at once as though

you with them. Those I have name will show you that I am sufficiently feathered with diplomas to fly into even a sick-room. Early in life-fortunately for my interests and pleasures, but unfortunately for my pocket-I fell in with Egyptology. I must have been bitten by some powerful scarab, for I took it bad. I went out tomb-hunting; and manag

g as if against time. I took it that he wished, while speaking, to study his ground; to see how far he would be justified in taking into confidence the two strangers before him. As he went on, I cou

you-he has procured through me, either by my exploration or by purchase-or-or-otherwise. Your Father, Miss Trelawny, has a rare knowledge. He sometimes makes up his mind that he want

jerk of a string. We waited; when he went on he spoke with a caution that

what it was for, or anything at all about it. Such matters are in confi

assed look crept over hi

ny, your Father is not wel

it cleared at once;-she stood up, saying in a to

oved toward her father's room; he

ng. Even in his anxiety to see his powerful friend, he glanced for a moment round the room, as at a familiar place. Then all his attention became fixed on t

moved.... My thoughts were beginning to whirl once again; I pulled myself up sharply and watched. There was a look of infinite pity on the sun-stained, rugged face as he gazed at his friend, lying so helpless. The sternness of Mr. Trelawny's face had not relaxed in sleep; but somehow it made the helplessness more marked. It would not have troubled one to see a weak or an ordinary face under such conditions; but this purposeful, masterful man, lying before us wrapped in impenetrable sleep, had all the pathos of a great ruin. The sight was not a new one to us; but I could see that Miss Trelawny, like myself, was moved afresh by it in the presence of the stranger. Mr. Corbeck's face grew stern.

make no motion during the whole time; but insensibly the bronze face became steel. When, at the end, I told him of Mr. Marvin's visit and of th

know where

hrase, coming at such a time, seemed to cl

sked, feeling that my q

emphasize

in all that he did; and we must not thwart him. He evidently ex

hat!" Somehow his impassiveness surprised me. I had expected that he would find a valid argument in my phrase; but it did

imself to no purpose. Doubtless, he expected t

d, or from what source?" The

I know nothing of either. I ca

to anguish. The steely look came over the swarthy face again; but the

onestly could to relieve you anxiety

t du

e word, the strong mouth

e thing; the small sounds of life within and without the house seemed intrusive. The first to break it w

to see me, knowing that my Father was-not availab

g close upon his iron-clad impassiveness, was like a pantomimic change. But all idea of co

n itself have arrested attention. His brows corrugated as he went on: "I quite forgot! What a loss! Now of all times! Just at t

ope not! oh, I hope not! I have had such anxiety and trouble already! It alarms me afresh to

form up to his full

bed. "And yet-and yet I came here for his advice, his counsel, his assistance. A

ty, her face drawn with pain. "Oh, speak! Say something! This anxiety, and hor

Stolen in some mysterious way. Not a soul in London knew that I was arriving. No one but myself knew what was in the shabby portmanteau that I carried. My room had but one door, and that I locked and bolted. The room was high in the house, five stories up, so that no entrance could have been obtained by the window. Indeed, I had closed the window myself and shut the hasp, for I wished to be secure in ever

ve taken the form of resolution. Her form was erect, her eyes blazed; energy was manifest in every nerve and fibre of her being. Even her voice was

re a lawyer. We have actually in the house a man whom you consider one of the best detectives in Lond

mpulsive way in which he took her hand. I moved over to the door. I was going to bring Sergeant Daw; and from her

ome of my property has been stolen. I must describe some of the lamps, especially one, for it is of gold; and my fear is lest the thief, ignorant of its historic worth, may, in order to cover up his crime, have it melted. I would willingly pay ten, twenty, a hundred, a thousand time

e a thing gets to Scotland Yard it is out of our power to keep it quiet, and further secrecy may be impossible. I shall sound Sergeant Daw

some of them, may be destroyed at once." To my intense astonishmen

nor any of them!" Mr. Corbeck

he asked. Her answer was s

I feel it all through me; as though it were a