to your employ at the last moment
with a forged recommendation. He is, in effect, a dangerous thief."

"You amaze me!" Sogrange exclaimed.

"We are all interested in this affair," Peter Ruff said, "and my friend
John Dory here is, perhaps, too modest properly to explain the matter.
If you care to come with me, we can reconstruct, in a minute, the
theft."

John Dory and Peter Ruff first of all handed over their captive, who was
now calm and apparently resigned, to the two policemen who were still on
duty in the Court. Afterwards, Peter Ruff led the way up one flight of
stairs, and turned the handle of the door of an apartment exactly over
the morning-room. It was the bedroom of the Marquis de Sogrange.

"Mr. Dory's chase in the motor-car," he said, "was, as you have
doubtless gathered now, merely a blind. It was obvious to his
intelligence that the blowing away of the window was merely a ruse to
cover the real method of the theft. If you will allow me, I will show
you how it was done."

The floor was of hardwood, covered with rugs. One of these, near the
fireplace, Peter Ruff brushed aside. The seventh square of hardwood
from the mantelpiece had evidently been tampered with. With very little
difficulty, he removed it.

"You see," he explained, "the ceiling of the room below is also of
paneled wood. Having removed this, it is easy to lift the second one,
especially as light screws have been driven in and string threaded about
them. There is now a hole through which you can see into the room below.
Has Dory returned? Ah, here he is!"

The detective came hurrying into the room, bearing in his hand a
peculiar-shaped weapon, a handful of little darts like those which had
been found in the wounded man's head, and an ordinary fishing-rod in a
linen case.

"There is the weapon," Peter Ruff said, "which it was easy enough to
fire from here upon the man who was leaning forward exactly below. Then
here, you will see, is a somewhat peculiar instrument, which shows a
great deal of ingenuity in its details."

He opened the linen case, which was, by the bye, secured by a padlock,
and drew out what was, to all appearance, an ordinary fishing-rod,
fitted at the end with something that looked like an iron hand. Peter
Ruff dropped it through the hole until it reached the table, moved it
backwards and forwards, and turned round with a smile.

"You see," he said, "the theft, after all, was very simple. Personally,
I must admit t