not discover my wardrobes, my chairs, my tables; I
saw nothing, nothing of that which had furnished my house, no, nothing,
although on the previous evening, I could not take a step without
encountering something that belonged to me.

The chief commissary, much astonished, regarded me at first with
suspicion.

"My God, Monsieur," said I to him, "the disappearance of these articles
of furniture coincides strangely with that of the merchant."

He laughed.

"That is true. You did wrong in buying and paying for the articles
which were your own property, yesterday. It was that which gave him the
cue."

"What seems to me incomprehensible," I replied, "is that all the places
that were occupied by my furniture are now filled by other furniture."

"Oh!" responded the commissary, "he has had all night, and has no doubt
been assisted by accomplices. This house must communicate with its
neighbors. But have no fear, Monsieur; I will have the affair promptly
and thoroughly investigated. The brigand shall not escape us for long,
seeing that we are in charge of the den."

* * * * *

Ah! My heart, my heart, my poor heart, how it beats!

I remained a fortnight at Rouen. The man did not return. Heavens! good
heavens! That man, what was it that could have frightened and surprised
him!

But, on the sixteenth day, early in the morning, I received from my
gardener, now the keeper of my empty and pillaged house, the following
strange letter:

"MONSIEUR:

"I have the honor to inform Monsieur that something happened, the
evening before last, which nobody can understand, and the police no
more than the rest of us. The whole of the furniture has been returned,
not one piece is missing--everything is in its place, up to the very
smallest article. The house is now the same in every respect as it was
before the robbery took place. It is enough to make one lose one's
head. The thing took place during the night Friday--Saturday. The roads
are dug up as though the whole fence had been dragged from its place up
to the door. The same thing was observed the day after the
disappearance of the furniture.

"We are anxiously expecting Monsieur, whose very humble and obedient
servant, I am,

PHILLIPE RAUDIN."

"Ah! no, no, ah! never, never, ah! no. I shall never return there!"

I took the letter to the commissary of police.

"It is a very clever restitution," said he. "Let us bury the hatchet.
We shall nip th