and before he had been in the room five minutes she made an excuse to leave it, and strolled out into the garden with Frank.
Blake watched them uneasily through the French windows which opened on to the verandah. So did Trant. Mrs. Jem, who was an observant person, noticed that Blake looked pale and worn. Trant, she thought, had more than ever the desperado air. Jem Hallett clumsily chaffed the Colonial Secretary on the failure of the police to bring Moonlight to justice.
"There's a chance for him," said Lord Horace, "if he only knew it. My sister, Lady Waveryng, has done the maddest thing, all through some stupid mistake of her maid, and Waveryng's man—so much for being dependent on old servants!"
"What have they done?" asked Mrs. Hallett.
"Don't give notice to the bushrangers," said Lord Horace. "They have brought her diamonds with her to the Dell; part of them are the historic Waveryng diamonds. Of course they ought to have been sent to the Bank, and Waveryng insists on their being taken over to Goondi, and Captain Macpherson has promised him a police escort."
"Why can't they be kept at the Dell?" asked Mrs. Jem.
"I suggested to Waveryng that we should lock 'em up in the flour-bin in the store. It struck me as the safest place. No one would ever dream of looking for family diamonds at the bottom of a flour-bin, would they now? He doesn't think our padlocks are safe though—tried one yesterday—we don't lock up much as a rule, at the Dell, and he prefers the Goondi Bank."
"And what do you suppose the Waveryng diamonds would be worth, roughly speaking, now?" asked Trant.
"A good many thousands," replied Lord Horace. "I wish I had the value of 'em, that's all. Have you any objection to the police escort being employed on private business, Blake? You needn't be afraid of Hallett asking a question about it in the House. He is the only member of the Opposition here just now."
