"'You allude to the thief as a woman. How did you discover that, since from your account you could hardly have seen her?'
"'No; I saw no one. But I know it was a woman. Never mind how I know. What, though, if it were—no! no! Impossible. He is not here; besides, he would not dare.'
"Of course I understood that she referred to our friend Romeo, and I might also have thought of him, had I not made sure that he was not present after the unmasking.
"'If you did not see the thief, you cannot be sure it was a woman,' I continued. 'Now, Madame, I have a proposal to make. I will purchase your pearls.'
"'You will do nothing of the sort, Mr. Mitchel. You got my ruby, but you will not get the pearls. Besides, I have not them to deliver, even if I were willing to sell them to you.'
"'That is the attractive feature of my proposition. I will pay for the pearls, their full value, and I will undertake to recover them.'
"'But I tell you I won't sell them. And besides, how could you recover them?'
"'I will tell you nothing in advance, except that I guarantee to recover them, and that, I imagine, is the main object with you.'
"'What do you mean? You talk in riddles.'
"'Listen. I will make my purpose clear to you. You obtained those pearls to-night, and——'