"

"That," Chloe said with conviction, "is what I felt; that's why I ran away. Lord Arglay, could she hesitated, "could those letters be real?"

"If they are, if the Stone is," the ChiefJustice said, "it looks as if it were real in another manner-more or less real than we are. No, that's absurd, of course. There can't be degrees in Reality. But we know that we can pass through space by its means-we both know that-and I have seen what was one become two, and then three, and lose nothing in the process. And now this morning. .." He gave her a letter, and she read-

"Foreign Office, "May 10.

"My Dear Chief Justice, "I wonder if you could spare me a few minutes to-day, and if so whether you would mind ringing up and making an appointment. Nothing to do with you directly, but the fact is we have been approached-very tentatively-on a little matter relating to your brother-in-law Sir Giles Tumulty. And as, on the few occasions when I've met him, he always seemed to me rather a difficult man to deal with, I thought my way might be smoother if I could have a chat with you first. Pray forgive me for troubling you.

"Yours very truly, "J. BRUCE CUMBERLAND."

Miss Burnett looked up. "You think it's the same thing?" "

"I shouldn't wonder," Lord Arglay answered. "Of course it may not be. Giles always seems to be conducting several lines of research at once, some perfectly harmless and one or two perfectly loathsome. But the F.O. has had trouble with him once or twice before-obscure troubles no one seemed to know the rights of, except Giles who (it is said) was the proximate cause of one Secretary's resignation. I don't wonder Bruce Cumberland hesitates to tackle him."

"Who is Mr. Cumberland?" Chloe asked.

"One of the smaller great guns there," Arglay told her. "A Permanent Official in many impermanent offices. But I've rung up already and made an appointment for twelve. I want-"

There was a tap at the door and a maid came in. "Sir Giles Tumulty would like to see you, my lord," she said.

"Sir Giles-? O bring him in, bring him in," Arglay said and met the visitor at the door. "Hallo, Tumulty, what brings you here so early?" he asked.

Sir Giles came briskly in, threw Chloe a glance, and sat down. "Three things," he said. "My house was burgled last night, I'm going to Birmingham to-day, and I want to warn you, or rather other people through you."

"Burgled?" Arglay said. "Casually or deliberately? And by whom, or don't you know?"

"Of course I know," Sir Giles said. "It's the Embassy people; I shouldn't be a bit surprised to find Ali Khan did it himself. I'm only surprised they didn't try to tackle me. They did it pretty well on the whole, felt under my pillow while I was trying not to snigger, and went all over the study, got what safe there is open, and made very little noise. I dare say I shouldn't have heard them if I hadn't been awake."

"Did they get what they wanted?" Arglay asked.

"Get it?" Sir Giles almost shrieked.