n quickly.

"Never mind--never mind," said M. Formery solemnly. And, turning to
Germaine, he went on: "You say, Mademoiselle, that these thefts began
about three years ago?"

"Yes, I think they began about three years ago in August."

"Let me see. It was in the month of August, three years ago, that your
father, after receiving a threatening letter like the one he received
last night, was the victim of a burglary?" said M. Formery.

"Yes, it was--the scoundrels!" cried the millionaire fiercely.

"Well, it would be interesting to know which of your servants entered
your service three years ago," said M. Formery.

"Victoire has only been with us a year at the outside," said Germaine.

"Only a year?" said M. Formery quickly, with an air of some vexation.
He paused and added, "Exactly--exactly. And what was the nature of the
last theft of which you were the victim?"

"It was a pearl brooch--not unlike the pendant which his Grace gave me
yesterday," said Germaine.

"Would you mind showing me that pendant? I should like to see it," said
M. Formery.

"Certainly--show it to him, Jacques. You have it, haven't you?" said
Germaine, turning to the Duke.

"Me? No. How should I have it?" said the Duke in some surprise.
"Haven't you got it?"

"I've only got the case--the empty case," said Germaine, with a
startled air.

"The empty case?" said the Duke, with growing surprise.

"Yes," said Germaine. "It was after we came back from our useless
journey to the station. I remembered suddenly that I had started
without the pendant. I went to the bureau and picked up the case; and
it was empty."

"One moment--one moment," said M. Formery. "Didn't you catch this young
Bernard Charolais with this case in his hands, your Grace?"

"Yes," said the Duke. "I caught him with it in his pocket."

"Then you may depend upon it that the young rascal had slipped the
pendant out of its case and you only recovered the empty case from
him," said M. Formery triumphantly.

"No," said the Duke. "That is not so. Nor could the thief have been the
burglar who broke open the bureau to get at the keys. For long after
both of them were out of the house I took a cigarette from the box
which stood on the bureau beside the case which held the pendant. And
it occurred to me that the young rascal might have played that very
trick on me. I opened the case and the pendant was there."

"It has been stolen!" cried the millionaire; "of course it has been