"They're valuable enough, however, to justify you in refusing to trust their shipment to ordinary channels and in going to the expense of sending to South Africa one of your officers to whom is confided the task of bringing the gems home."
"How did you know that?" demanded Mr. Parker, surprised.
"There is very little I do not know," smiled Keralio ironically, as he blew a ring of cigar smoke up to the ceiling.
His curiosity aroused, the president of the A. A. M. Co. was about to question his companion farther, but at that moment Helen rose from the desk and came toward them.
"I'm not in the humor to write now," she said. "I'd rather talk." Sitting in a chair near them, she added quickly: "Won't you let me get you some tea?"
Both men shook their heads. Mr. Parker rose. With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he said:
"I'll go over to the others and take a hand at bridge. I want to make some money, Signor—I'll leave you to entertain Mrs. Traynor."
With a courteous salutation to his hostess, a graceful act of chivalrous politeness of which he was a past master, Mr. Parker crossed the room in the direction of the card table.