A great flame flew up the chimney, and, as if struck at the sight of it, he stood gazing for a moment after it had vanished.
When he turned, the Count was gone, as he had expected, and Sepia stood with eyes full of anger and fear.

Her face was set and colorless, and strange to look upon.
"Very odd--ain't it ?" said Mr.Redmain, and, opening the door of his dressing-room, called out: "Miss Marston!" When he turned, Sepia too was gone.
I would not have my reader take Sepia for an accomplice in the robbery.
Even Mr.Redmain did not believe that: she was much too prudent! His idea was, that she had been wearing the ring--Hesper did not mind what she wore of hers--and that (I need not give his conjecture in detail), with or without her knowledge, the fellow had got hold of it and carried it away, then brought it back, treating the thing as a joke, when she was only too glad to restore it to the jewel-case, hoping the loss of it would then pass for an oversight on the part of Hesper.

If he was right in this theory of the affair, then the Count had certainly a hold upon her, and she dared not or would not expose him! He had before discovered that, about the time when the ring disappeared, the Count had had losses, and was supposed unable to meet them, but had suddenly showed himself again "flush of money," and from that time had had an extraordinary run of luck.
When he went out of the door of Mr.Redmain's study, he vanished from the house and from London.

Turning the first corner he came to, and the next and the next, he stepped into a mews, the court of which seemed empty, and slipped behind the gate.

He wore a new hat, and was clean shaved except his upper lip.