The lock was broken, and they were gone." There was another long silence.
"I was a fool, of course, to put them there," resumed Ralph.

"Charles told me so; but I thought they were as safe there as anywhere, if no one knew--and no one did except the house party." "Were any of the servants about ?" asked Marston.
"Not one.

They had all gone to bed except one of the footmen, who was putting out the lamps in the supper-room, miles away." Another silence.
"That is the dreadful part of it," burst out Ralph.

"They must have been taken by some one staying in the house--some one who saw me put them there.

The first thing I did was to send for the house-maids, and they assured me that they had found every shutter shut, and every door locked, this morning, as usual.