ne de Valois, Countess de la Motte, had pulled to pieces one evening
in February, 1785, with the aid of her husband and their accomplice,
Retaux de Villette.

To tell the truth, the mounting alone was genuine. Retaux de Villette
had kept it, whilst the Count de la Motte and his wife scattered to the
four winds of heaven the beautiful stones so carefully chosen by Bohmer.
Later, he sold the mounting to Gaston de Dreux-Soubise, nephew and heir
of the Cardinal, who re-purchased the few diamonds that remained in
the possession of the English jeweler, Jeffreys; supplemented them with
other stones of the same size but of much inferior quality, and thus
restored the marvelous necklace to the form in which it had come from
the hands of Bohmer and Bassenge.

For nearly a century, the house of Dreux-Soubise had prided itself upon
the possession of this historic jewel. Although adverse circumstances
had greatly reduced their fortune, they preferred to curtail their
household expenses rather than part with this relic of royalty. More
particularly, the present count clung to it as a man clings to the
home of his ancestors. As a matter of prudence, he had rented a
safety-deposit box at the Credit Lyonnais in which to keep it. He went
for it himself on the afternoon of the day on which his wife wished to
wear it, and he, himself, carried it back next morning.

On this particular evening, at the reception given at the Palais
de Castille, the Countess achieved a remarkable success; and King
Christian, in whose honor the fete was given, commented on her grace
and beauty. The thousand facets of the diamond sparkled and shone like
flames of fire about her shapely neck and shoulders, and it is safe to
say that none but she could have borne the weight of such an ornament
with so much ease and grace.

This was a double triumph, and the Count de Dreux was highly elated
when they returned to their chamber in the old house of the faubourg
Saint-Germain. He was proud of his wife, and quite as proud, perhaps,
of the necklace that had conferred added luster to his noble house
for generations. His wife, also, regarded the necklace with an almost
childish vanity, and it was not without regret that she removed it
from her shoulders and handed it to her husband who admired it as
passionately as if he had never seen it before. Then, having placed it
in its case of red leather, stamped with the Cardinal's arms, he passed
into an adjoining room which