"Call it what you like. It was necessitated by the expense of keeping a wife. Your tastes are costly. Pictures, works of art, rare furniture, rich dresses are the breath of life to you. Deny it if you can. I was obliged to resort to some expedient in order to satisfy your extravagance. That vase was one of my—er—appropriations. I gave it to you to convert into cash, but you seem to prefer keeping it."
"And so the money you have given me during the past few months has come from the sale of this plate?"
Ivar nodded assent.
"Was this plate contained in the jewel-room through which the earl has just taken us?"
"O, dear no! The store I refer to is far too valuable and tempting to be exposed to the eyes of even the oldest and most trusted of our family servants—at least, that's the governor's opinion. He is somewhat eccentric, you know. So he keeps this treasure to himself in a secret place."
Lorelie did not ask Ivar to name this secret place: she had her own opinion as to the locality, and would not have believed Ivar if he had declared it to be elsewhere.
"Your father inspects these treasures occasionally, I presume?"
"Of course—with the joy of an old miser."
"And he keeps a catalogue of them?"
"You bet he does!"