“You are a lawyer, Yelverton, and of course that point would occur to you. But it also occurred to Humphreys—another instance of his amazing foresight—and he took steps accordingly. Thelma, show Mr. Yelverton your locket.”
With a smile Thelma took from her pocket a heavy locket attached to a chain and handed it to me. I was astonished at its massiveness and weight, until I saw both locket and chain were of platinum. On the front of the locket was deeply engraved the inscription, “Thelma Audley—from Stanley.”
“Platinum; you see, Yelverton!” said old Feng.
I gasped in astonishment at the realization of Humphreys’ cleverness.
“Of course,” I said, “it would resist the fire, the locket would be found in the débris and Thelma’s disappearance would be explained, in part at any rate.”
“Yes,” rejoined Feng, “the locket would account for Thelma and what more natural than the conclusion that the remains of the man found with her were those of her husband?”
“But what has become of Stanley?” I asked, wondering why Thelma was here without him.
“Stanley Audley is dead,” said Feng very gently, and I noticed the slow tears begin to trickle down Thelma’s face. “He died like a hero. It was he who rescued Thelma from the blazing room. By some extraordinary chance the fire seems to have spread mainly in your direction and Thelma escaped with the loss of most of her clothing and her hair which was almost burnt off. But poor Stanley was so terribly burned that he died three days later in the hospital. There is no doubt he loved Thelma deeply and utterly regretted the trouble he had brought upon her.”
Stanley Audley dead! I held my breath! Then Thelma was free! Such was my involuntary reflection.
Thelma was weeping softly. I hardly dared look at her. But I put out my hand and clasped hers. She turned her head away and gazed in silence at the golden glow in the west across the sea. But she did not withdraw her hand and a great wave of joy flooded through me.