Considering that Marie was inexperienced in worldly matters, she acted with extraordinary foresight¹ and determination. Few girls would have risked that journey to the Rotherhithe slum, or would have conducted the interview with Mother Slaig so discreetly². Certainly her lucky star was in the ascendant when she plunged³ into those malodorous depths, as she had been guarded from all peril⁴ by the various policemen; but her own diplomatic behavior had accomplished⁵ the impossible with the old harridan⁶. Marie returned home with the full belief that Morad-Bakche was the guilty person, since he desired to obtain possession of the peacock, and he had been haunting the house wherein Baldwin Grison resided. That Sorley had held the bird--a fact vouched⁸ for by Alan--she believed was due to the machinations of Miss Grison, who evidently was working in concert with the Indian to ruin the man. And Bakche's reward would be possession of the jewels, since Marie fancied the dead man's sister had possibly guessed the riddle⁹ of the ornament¹⁰. If this was so, there was no need for either of the conspirators¹¹ to retain possession of the peacock, since it had yielded up its secret.

 

With this idea Marie came back to Lewes, and there she sent a telegram to Alan asking him to come down the next day. She was anxious to impart her discovery to her lover, and to show him that she also was able to kelp in the matter of tracing Grison's assassin, and obtaining the treasure. On the evidence she had discovered concerning Bakche's presence at Rotherhithe, a new departure might be taken relative to the conduct of the case. But Marie felt that she could venture no further along the dark path unassisted, and therefore wished for Alan's co-operation. She knew that the telegram would bring him to her at once, and

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