"What do you mean?" asked the Duchess hurriedly. "What makes you think
so?"

"I know," said Vasco simply.

"Know? How can you know? How can anyone know? The thing happened three
years ago."

"In a locker of the _Sub-Rosa_ I found a water-tight strong-box. It
contained papers." Vasco paused with dramatic effect and searched for a
moment in the inner breast-pocket of his coat. He drew out a folded slip
of paper. The Duchess snatched at it in almost indecent haste and moved
appreciably nearer the fireplace.

"Was this in the _Sub-Rosa's_ strong-box?" she asked.

"Oh no," said Vasco carelessly, "that is a list of the well-known people
who would be involved in a very disagreeable scandal if the _Sub-Rosa's_
papers were made public. I've put you at the head of it, otherwise it
follows alphabetical order."

The Duchess gazed helplessly at the string of names, which seemed for the
moment to include nearly every one she knew. As a matter of fact, her
own name at the head of the list exercised an almost paralysing effect on
her thinking faculties.

"Of course you have destroyed the papers?" she asked, when she had
somewhat recovered herself. She was conscious that she made the remark
with an entire lack of conviction.