ou had spoken to the manager of the hotel
about me before you were so ready to believe any cock-and-bull story
about my supposed rogueries.'

"Finally he placed a small 16mo volume before the young jeweller, and
said with a pleasant smile:

"'If people in this country who are in a large way of business, and are
therefore likely to come in contact with people of foreign nationality,
were to study these little volumes before doing business with any
foreigner who claims a title, much disappointment and a great loss would
often be saved. Now in this case had you looked up page 797 of this
little volume of Gotha's Almanach you would have seen my name in it and
known from the first that the so-called Russian detective was a liar.'

"There was nothing more to be said, and Mr. Schwarz left the hotel. No
doubt, now that he had been hopelessly duped he dared not go home, and
half hoped by communicating with the police that they might succeed in
arresting the thief before he had time to leave Liverpool. He
interviewed Detective-Inspector Watson, and was at once confronted with
the awful difficulty which would make the recovery of the bank-notes
practically hopeless. He had never had the time or opportunity of
jotting down the numbers of the notes.

"Mr. Winslow, though terribly wrathful against his nephew, did not wish
to keep him out of his home. As soon as he had received Schwarz's
letter, he traced him, with Inspector Watson's help, to his lodgings in
North Street, where the unfortunate young man meant to remain hidden
until the terrible storm had blown over, or perhaps until the thief had
been caught red-handed with the booty still in his hands.

"This happy event, needless to say, never did occur, though the police
made every effort to trace the man who had decoyed Schwarz into the cab.
His appearance was such an uncommon one; it seemed most unlikely that no
one in Liverpool should have noticed him after he left that cab. The
wonderful fur coat, the long beard, all must have been noticeable, even
though it was past four o'clock on a somewhat foggy December afternoon.

"But every investigation proved futile; no one answering Schwarz's
description of the man had been seen anywhere. The papers continued to
refer to the case as 'the Liverpool Mystery.' Scotland Yard sent Mr.
Fairburn down--the celebrated detective--at the request of the Liverpool
police, to help in the investigations, but nothing availed.

"Prince Semionic