The Ripening Rubies | Page 5

smiled at me, saying, "I've set full sail again;" and her
whole bearing convinced me of her belief that I had seen nothing.
At the end of my dance my own partner, a pretty little girl in pink, left
me with the remark, "You're awfully stupid to-night! I ask you if you've
seen Manon Lescaut, and the only thing you say is, 'The panel buttons
up, I thought so.'" This convinced me that it was dangerous to dance
again, and I waited in the room only until the supper was ready, and
Mrs. Kavanagh passed me, making for the dining-room, on the arm of

General Sharard. I had loitered to see what jewels she wore upon her
dress; and when I had made a note of them, I slipped from the front
door of the house unobserved, and took a hansom to my place in Bond
Street.
At the second ring of the bell my watchman opened the door to me; and
while he stood staring with profound surprise, I walked straight to one
of the jewel cases in which our cheaper jewels are kept, and took
therefrom a spray of diamonds, and hooked it to the inside of my coat.
Then I sent the man up stairs to awaken Abel, and in five minutes my
servant was with me, though he wore only his trousers and his shirt.
"Abel," said I, "there's good news for you. I'm on the path of the gang
we're wanting."
"Good God, sir!" cried he, "you don't mean that!"
"Yes," said I, "there's a woman named Sibyl Kavanagh in it to begin
with, and she's helped herself to a couple of diamond sprays, and a
pendant of rubies at Lady Faber's to-night. One of the sprays I know
she's got; if I could trace the pendant to her, the case would begin to
look complete."
"Whew!" he ejaculated, brightening up at the prospect of business. "I
knew there was a woman in it all along--but this one, why, she's a
regular flier, ain't she, sir?"
"We'll find out her history presently. I'm going straight back to Portman
Square now. Follow me in a hansom, and when you get to the house,
wait inside my brougham until I come. But before you do that, run
round to Marlborough Street police-station and ask them if we can have
ten or a dozen men ready to mark a house in Bayswater some time
between this and six o'clock to-morrow morning."
"You're going to follow her home then?"
"Exactly, and if my wits can find a way I'm going to be her guest for
ten minutes after she quits Lady Faber's. They're sure to let you have

the men either at Marlborough Street or at the Harrow Road station.
This business has been a disgrace to them quite long enough."
"That's so, sir; King told me yesterday that he'd bury his head in the
sand if something didn't turn up soon. You haven't given me the exact
address though."
"Because I haven't got it. I only know that the woman lives somewhere
near St. Stephen's Church--she sits under, or on, one of the curates
there. If you can get her address from her coachman, do so. But go and
dress and be in Portman Square at the earliest possible moment."
It was now very near one o'clock, indeed the hour struck as I passed the
chapel in Orchard Street; and when I came into the square I found my
own coachman waiting with the brougham at the corner by Baker Street.
I told him, before I entered the house, to expect Abel; and not by any
chance to draw up at Lady Faber's. Then I made my way quietly to the
ball-room and observed Mrs. Kavanagh--I will not say dancing, but
hurling herself through the last figure of the lancers. It was evident that
she did not intend to quit yet awhile; and I left her to get some supper,
choosing a seat near to the door of the dining-room, so that any one
passing must be seen by me. To my surprise, I had not been in the room
ten minutes when she suddenly appeared in the hall, unattended, and
her cloak wrapped round her; but she passed without perceiving me;
and I, waiting until I heard the hall door close, went out instantly and
got my wraps. Many of the guests had left already, but a few carriages
and cabs were in the square, and a linkman seemed busy in the
distribution of unlimited potations. It occurred to me that if Abel had
not got the woman's address, this man might give it to me, and I put the
plain question to him.
"That lady who just left;" said I, "did she have a carriage or a cab?"