the
affair of the Queen's Necklace."

Everybody now turned to the count, who was thus obliged, quite
unwillingly, to narrate all the circumstances connected with the theft.
The chevalier listened, reflected, asked a few questions, and said:

"It is very strange.... at first sight, the problem appears to be a very
simple one."

The count shrugged his shoulders. The others drew closer to the
chevalier, who continued, in a dogmatic tone:

"As a general rule, in order to find the author of a crime or a theft,
it is necessary to determine how that crime or theft was committed, or,
at least, how it could have been committed. In the present case, nothing
is more simple, because we are face to face, not with several theories,
but with one positive fact, that is to say: the thief could only enter
by the chamber door or the window of the cabinet. Now, a person cannot
open a bolted door from the outside. Therefore, he must have entered
through the window."

"But it was closed and fastened, and we found it fastened afterward,"
declared the count.

"In order to do that," continued Floriani, without heeding the
interruption, "he had simply to construct a bridge, a plank or a ladder,
between the balcony of the kitchen and the ledge of the window, and as
the jewel-case---"

"But I repeat that the window was fastened," exclaimed the count,
impatiently.

This time, Floriani was obliged to reply. He did so with the greatest
tranquility, as if the objection was the most insignificant affair in
the world.

"I will admit that it was; but is there not a transom in the upper part
of the window?"

"How do you know that?"

"In the first place, that was customary in houses of that date; and,
in the second place, without such a transom, the theft cannot be
explained."

"Yes, there is one, but it was closed, the same as the window.
Consequently, we did not pay attention to it."

"That was a mistake; for, if you had examined it, you would have found
that it had been opened."

"But how?"

"I presume that, like all others, it opens by means of a wire with a
ring on the lower end."

"Yes, but I do not see---"

"Now, through a hole in the window, a person could, by the aid of some
instrument, let us say a poker with a hook at the end, grip the ring,
pull down, and open the transom."

The count laughed and said:

"Excellent! excellent! Your scheme is very cleverly constructed, but you
overlook one thing, monsieur, there is n