as right, and
that he loved Madeleine? If not, why should her name again have caused
him such unaccountable emotion?

CHAPTER XV.

THE EMBROIDERED HANDKERCHIEF.

Maurice lost no time, the next morning, in seeking out the crafty old
Jew. Henriques was a vender of jewels that came into his hands through
private sources. There was considerable risk in his traffic; for it was
just possible some of the precious stones transferred to him might have
been acquired in a manner not strictly legal. Perhaps it was not part of
his policy to acquaint himself with the history of gems which he bought
at a bargain and reaped an enormous profit in selling; for, when Maurice
endeavored to extract some information concerning the diamonds purchased
by the Marquis de Fleury, the Jew protested entire ignorance in regard
to their prior ownership; stating that they were brought to him by one
of his _confreres_, of whom he asked no questions,--that he had
purchased them at a ruinous price, and resold them to the marquis
without a centime's benefit: a very generous proceeding on his part, he
asserted; adding, with a ludicrous assumption of importance, that he
highly esteemed the marquis, and now and then allowed himself the
gratification of favoring him in business transactions.

"But the name of the person from whom your friend received the jewels is
certainly on his books, and, however numerous the hands through which
they may have passed, they can be traced back to their original owner,"
observed Maurice.

"Not so easily, monsieur, not so easily. Purchaser has nothing to do
with original owner. Jewels worth something, or jewels worth
nothing,--that's the point; names of parties holding the articles of no
consequence."

"But you certainly inquire from what source the jewels offered you
proceed?"

"Never make impertinent inquiries,--never: would drive away customers.
If monsieur has any jewels for sale, shall be happy to look at them;
disposed to deal in the most liberal manner with monsieur."

"Thank you. My object is simply to discover a friend to whom the jewels
you sold to the Marquis de Fleury once belonged. It is indispensable
that I should learn through whose hands they came into your possession."

"Ah!" said the cunning Jew, placing his skinny finger on one side of his
hooked nose, as if reflecting; then glancing at Maurice out of the
corners of his searching eyes, he asked, "Party would like to be
discovered?--or wou