"That certainly would be wise, sir."
"Go down now with Mrs. Howe, since she is so gracious, and have your breakfast. Examine, too, the place where we concealed the jewel-case. You may discover a clue she has missed."
"That is extremely unlikely, I fear, sir," was the man's modest answer. "Still, I will look."
"I am sick at heart about all this," Marcia murmured as the two descended the stairs. "You see, it was I who suggested to Mr. Heath where to hide the gems. We were hurried and had no time to think up a place. I had used this hide-out before and as it had always proved safe, I thought it would be so now. I feel responsible—as if this loss was my fault."
"It is a great pity," was Currier's ambiguous reply.
Preceding him into the kitchen, Marcia went straight to the hearth and pointed to the brick at her feet.
"It was here we put the jewel-case," she said.
"I think, with your permission, I will take up the brick," the little man at her elbow quietly announced.
"Certainly," acquiesced Marcia wearily.
"There might be some crevice, some opening—"