ght of the familiar name reminded me of you and
then I remembered your unexpected visit to me at the Nineveh when
I was packing up to go away on leave the evening you were going
back to France. I remembered that I had put the package with the
jewel on my table for a moment when I was changing my tunic. Your
appearance drove it out of my head for the time, and you utilized
the chance to substitute a similar package for mine. It was
clever, Desmond, 'pon my word it was a stroke of genius, a master
coup which in my country would have placed you at the very top of
the tree in the Great General Staff!"

Desmond listened to this story in amazement. He did not attempt
to speculate on the different course events would have taken had
he but known that the mysterious jewel which had cost old
Mackwayte his life, had been in his, Desmond's, possession from
the very day on which he had assumed the guise and habiliments of
Mr. Bellward. He was racking his brains to think what he had done
with the box of cigarettes he had purchased at the Dionysus shop
on the afternoon of the day he had taken the leave train back to
France.

He remembered perfectly buying the cigarettes for the journey.
But he didn't have them on the journey; for the captain of the
leave boat had given him some cigars as Desmond had nothing to
smoke. And then with a flash he remembered. He had packed the
cigarettes in his kit--his kit which had gone over to France in
the hold of the leave boat? And to think that there was a 100,000
pound jewel in charge of the M.L.O. at a French port!

The idea tickled Desmond's sense of humor and he smiled.

"Come," cried Strangwise, "you've heard my terms. This jewel,
this Star of Poland, it is nothing to you or your Government. You
restore it to me and I won't even ask you for a safe conduct back
to Germany. I'll just slide out and it will be as if I had never
been to England at all. As for my organization, you, Desmond
Okewood, have blown it sky-high!"

He stretched out his hand to Desmond as though he expected the
other to produce the gem from his pocket. But Desmond rose to his
feet and struck the hand contemptuously on one side. The smile
had vanished from his face.

"Are you sure that is all you have to say to me?" he asked.

Strangwise had stood up as well.

"Why, yes!" he said, "I think so!"

"Well, then," said Desmond firmly, "just listen to me for a
moment! Here's my answer. You've lost the jewel for good and