certainly her necklace, the one she had told him Lucy Hodge gave her for her birthday. And it came from that peculiarly shaped teakwood box. He picked up the box, intending to replace the necklace, when the Bengal tiger seal of Rao-Singh on the back of the box fairly hit him between the eyes. He stared and uttered an incredulous expression of surprise. What was that doing here? Had he merely presented her with the case? Or was the necklace too—
"Hello, Dudley, I didn't know you were in these parts."
He wheeled around to his second surprise. Lucy Hodge, attired in a stunning peach-colored evening gown and wrap and looking in the best of health, was standing in the doorway.
"We are on our way to the Brandons for bridge. I thought I would drop in and try and persuade Carmelita to come along—you too if you like."
"I don't understand. I thought Carmelita went over to your house, that you were ill."
"Whatever put that into your head, old boy? I am never ill?"
"But you telephoned Carmelita that you were."
"Some one has been spoofing you, Dudley. Perhaps some of our practical jokers who
