"
With that he threw both the bits of blue into a drawer, and the
contents of the cup into the fire. 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.
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