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he threw out his arms on either side of him and positively shouted:—

"Will you not keep back? If you will keep back, everything shall be done in order before you all. I ask you only to be a little sensible. If there is so much confusion, we shall not know what we are doing. I beg of you that you will be calm."

If they were not precisely calm, the people did show some slight inclination to behave with an approach to common sense. They permitted the bag to be placed on the table, and the manager to open it, having first put some questions to the young man who brought it in.

"Where did you find this bag?"

"In her room." I was the "her," which he made clear by pointing his finger straight at me.

"Was anyone else present in the room at the time you found it? Did you find anything else?"

"There were three other persons present in the room. That bag was the first thing I touched. When I opened it and saw what was inside, I thought that, for the present, that would be enough. I think you also will be of my opinion when you see what it contains."

Then the manager opened the bag. He looked inside, then he turned it upside down and allowed the whole contents to fall out on to the table. Of all the extraordinary collections! I believe there were articles belonging to every person in the hotel. When you came to think of it, it was amazing how they had been gathered together—in what could only have been a short space of time—without the gatherer being detected. As for the behaviour of the guests of the hotel, it was like Bedlam broken loose. They pressed forward all together, ejaculating, exclaiming, snatching
"He turned it upside down and allowed the whole contents to fall out on to the table." at this and that, as each saw some personal belonging.

"Keep back! Keep back!" shouted the manager. "Will you not keep back?" As he positively roared at them they did shrink back as if a trifle startled. "If you will only have a little patience each lady shall have what belongs to her—if it is here."

Mrs. Anstruther's voice was heard above the hubbub: "Are my diamonds there?" Then Mrs. Newball's: "And my pearls?"

The under-strapper was examining the miscellaneous collection which my bag had contained with all those women breaking into continual exclamations, watching him with hungry eyes. He announced the result of his examination.

"No; Mrs. Anstruther's diamonds do not appear to be here, nor Mrs. Newball's pearls; there is nothing here which at all resembles them."