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difficulty in following in my family carriage。 In fact； Mr。
Cleggett； I discovered the very chauffeur who had deposited her
here with the box。 Inquiries in Fairport gave me your name as
the owner of this lighter。〃
〃Lighter！〃 interrupted Cleggett。 〃The Jasper B。； madam； is not
a lighter。〃
〃I beg your pardon；〃 said Miss Pringle。 〃But what sort of vessel
is it then？〃
〃The Jasper B。；〃 said Cleggett； with a touch of asperity； 〃is a
schooner； madam。〃
〃I intended no offense； Mr。 Cleggett。 I am quite willing to
believe that the vessel is a schooner； since you say that it is。
I am not informed concerning nautical affairs。 But； to
concludeI discovered from the chauffeur that this lady； calling
herself Lady Agatha Fairhaven； had been deposited here； with my
box。 I learned yesterday； after inquiries in Fairport； that you
were the owner of this vessel。 The real estate person from whom
you purchased it assured me that you were financially
responsible。 I came to expose this imposter and to recover my
box。 On my way hither I was caught in the storm。 The runaway
occurred； and you know the rest。〃
Miss Pringle； during this recital； had not deigned to favor Lady
Agatha with a look。 Lady Agatha； on her part； after the rebuff
which she had received； had sat in smiling silence。
〃Miss Pringle；〃 she said； pleasantly but seriously； when the
other woman had finished； 〃first I must convince you that this
box does not contain your plum preserves； and then I will tell
you my story。〃
With Cleggett's assistance Lady Agatha removed the cover from the
oblong box； and showed her its contents。
〃That explains nothing；〃 said Miss Pringle； dryly。 〃Of course
you would remove the plum preserves to a place of safety。〃
〃Miss Pringle；〃 said Lady Agatha； 〃I will tell you everything。 I
DID claim a box in your name at the railway goods station in
Newarkand if there had been nothing in it but plum preserves；
how happy I should be！ I beg of you； Miss Pringle； to give me
your attention。〃
And Lady Agatha began to relate to Miss Pringle the same story
which she had told to Cleggett。 At the first word indicative of
the fact the Lady Agatha had suffered for the cause of votes for
women； a change took place in the expression of Miss Pringle's
countenance。 Cleggett thought she was about to speak。 But she
did not。 Nevertheless； although she listened intently； some of
her rigidity had gone。 When Lady Agatha had finished Miss
Pringle said：
〃I suppose that you can prove that you are really Lady Agatha
Fairhaven？〃
For answer Lady Agatha went to one of her trunks and opened it。
She drew therefrom a letter； and passed it over without a word。
As Miss Pringle read it； her face lighted up。 She did not lose
her primness； but her suspicion seemed altogether to depart。
〃A letter from Emmeline Pankhurst！〃 she said； in a hushed voice；
handling the missive as if it were a sacred relic。 〃Can you ever
forgive me？〃
〃There is nothing to forgive；〃 beamed Lady Agatha。 〃I am willing
to admit； now that you understand me； that the thing looked a bit
suspicious； on the face of it。〃
〃You have suffered for the cause；〃 said Miss Pringle。 〃I have
suffered for it； too！〃 And； with a certain shyness； she patted
Lady Agatha on the arm。 But the next moment she said：
〃But what IS in the box you brought here then； Lady Agatha？ Two
boxes were shipped to Newark； addressed to me。 Which one did you
get？ What is really in the one you have been carrying around？
My plum preserves； or〃
She shuddered and left the sentence unfinished。
〃Let us open it；〃 said Cleggett。
〃No！ No！〃 cried Lady Agatha。 〃Clement； no！ I could not bear to
have it opened。〃
Miss Pringle rose。 It was evident that a bit of her earlier
suspicion had returned。
〃After all；〃 said Miss Pringle； indicating the letter again； 〃how
do I know that〃
〃That it is not a forgery？〃 said Lady Agatha。 〃I see。〃 She mused
a moment； and then said； with a sigh； 〃Well； then； let us open
the box！〃
〃I think it best； Agatha；〃 said Cleggett。 〃I shall have it
brought down。〃
But even as he turned upon his heel to go on deck and give the
order； Dr。 Farnsworth and the Rev。 Simeon Calthrop ran excitedly
down the cabin companionway。
〃The box of Reginald Maltravers；〃 cried the Doctor； who was in
Cleggett's confidence； 〃is gone！〃
CHAPTER XIX
TWO GREAT MEN MEET
〃Gone！〃 Lady Agatha； who had emerged from her stateroom； turned
pale and caught at her heart。
They rushed on deck。 The young Doctor was right； the box； which
had stood on the larboard side of the cabin； had disappeared。
〃It might have been blown into the canal during the storm；〃
suggested the Rev。 Mr。 Calthrop。 All of the crew of the Jasper
B。 knew Lady Agatha's story； and were aware of the importance of
the box。
〃It was on the lee side of the cabin；〃 objected Dr。 Farnsworth；
〃and while it might have been blown flat to the deck； in spite of
its protected position； it would scarcely have been picked up by
the wind again and wafted over the port bulwarks。〃
〃If you was to ask me；〃 said Cap'n Abernethy； who had joined in
the discussion； 〃I'd give it as MY opinion it's a good riddance
of bad rubbish。〃
〃Rubbish？〃 said Miss Pringle。 〃Rubbish； indeed！ I am confident
that that box contained my plum preserves！〃
〃It has been stolen！〃 cried Cleggett； with conviction。 〃Fool
that I was； not to have taken it into the cabin！〃
〃But； if you had； you know；〃 said Lady Agatha； 〃one would
scarcely have cared to stay in there with it。〃
〃Loge has outgeneraled me；〃 murmured Cleggett； well…nigh frantic
with self…reproach。 〃While he made the attack in front； he sent
some of his men to the rear of the vessel and it was quietly made
off with while we were fighting。〃 Had the disappearance of the
box concerned himself alone Cleggett's sense of disaster might
have been less poignant。 But the thought that his own
carelessness had enabled the enemy to get possession of a thing
likely to involve Lady Agatha in further trouble was nearly
insupportable。 He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands in
impotent rage。
〃No doubt Loge caught sight of it during the early part of the
skirmish； by a flash of lightning；〃 said Dr。 Farnsworth； 〃and
acted as you suggest； Mr。 Cleggett。 But does he believe it to be
the box which contains the evidence against him？ Or can he； by
any chance； be aware of its real contents？〃
〃No matter which；〃 groaned Cleggett； 〃no matter which！ For when
he opens it； he will learn what is in it。 Don't you see that he
has us now？ If he offers to trade it back to us for the other
oblong box； how can I refuse？ If we have his secret； Loge has
ours！〃
But Dr。 Farnsworth was not listening。 He had suddenly leaned
over the port rail and was staring down the canal。 The others
follo