interest on money, though I did buy you the very finest procurable imitations!  And think, my child, how relieved you are now,—­oh, yes! you are, so don’t pretend the contrary:  I can deceive you, but you can’t deceive me.  You have no grievance whatever.  You have had many hours of innocent satisfaction in your false jewels, and nobody is any the worse.  Indeed my surpassing wisdom in the choice of a necklace has saved you from all further worry about the loss of the necklace, because it simply doesn’t matter either one way or the other, and I say I defy you to stand there and tell me to my face that you have any grievance at all.”

Mr. Prohack paused for a reply, and he got it.

“I will never forgive you as long as I live,” said Eve.  “Let us say no more about it.  What time is that awful lunch that you’ve arranged with that dreadful Bishop man?  And what would you like me to wear, please?” In an instant she had rebuilt the wall, higher than ever.

Mr. Prohack, always through the wall, took her in his arms and kissed her.  But he might as well have kissed a woman in a trance.  All that could be said was that Eve submitted to his embrace, and her attitude was another brilliant illustration of the fact that the most powerful oriental tyrants can be defied by their weakest slaves, provided that the weakest slaves know how to do it.

“You are splendid!” said Mr. Prohack, admiringly, conscious anew of his passion for her and full of trust in the virtue of his passion to knock down the wall sooner or later.  “But you are a very naughty and ungrateful creature, and you must be punished.  I will now proceed to punish you.  We have much to do before the lunch.  Go and get ready, and simply put on all the clothes that have cost the most money.  They are the clothes fittest for your punishment.”

Three-quarters of an hour later, when Mr. Prohack had telephoned and sent a confirmatory note by hand to his bank, Carthew drove them away southwards, and the car stopped in front of the establishment of a very celebrated firm of jewellers near Piccadilly.

“Come along,” said Mr. Prohack, descending to the pavement, and drew after him a moving marble statue, richly attired.  They entered the glittering shop, and were immediately encountered by an expectant salesman who had the gifts of wearing a frock-coat as though he had been born in it, and of reading the hearts of men.  That salesman saw in a flash that big business was afoot.

“First of all,” said Mr. Prohack.  “Here is my card, so that we may know where we stand.”

The salesman read the card and was suitably impressed, but his conviction that big business was afoot seemed now to be a little shaken.

“May I venture to hope that the missing necklace has been found, sir?” said the salesman smoothly.  “We’ve all been greatly interested in the newspaper story.”

“That is beside the point,” said Mr. Prohack.  “I’ve come simply to buy a pearl necklace.”