. So when, on the day of the robbery, Mme. Van den
Rosen came with her diamond necklace at half-past nine, I was perfectly
within my rights in refusing to accept the deposit."

"That's right enough," said M. Muller, who, having finished his dessert,
was now sipping coffee into which he had tipped sugar until it was as
thick as syrup: "but you were disobliging, my dear young lady, and that
was what struck the magistrate; for really it would not have been much
trouble to register the new deposit and take charge of Mme. Van den
Rosen's necklace for her."

"No, it wouldn't," the girl replied; "but when there is a rule it seems
to me that it ought to be obeyed. My time is up at nine o'clock, and I
am forbidden to accept any deposits after nine o'clock: and that's why I
refused that lady's. I was perfectly right; and I should do the same
again, if the same thing happened."

Henri Verbier was manifestly anxious to conciliate the young cashier. He
expressed his approval of her conduct now.

"I quite agree with you, it never does to put interpretations upon
orders. It was your duty to close your safe at nine o'clock, and you did
close it then, and no one can say anything to you. But, joking apart,
what did the magistrate want?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders with a gesture of indifference.

"You see I was right just now: M. Louis is only trying to tease me by
saying that the magistrate cross-examined me severely. As a matter of
fact I was simply asked what I have just told you, and when I gave all
this explanation, no fault at all was found with me." As she spoke,
Mlle. Jeanne folded her napkin carefully, pushed back her chair and
shook hands with her two neighbours at table. "Good night," she said. "I
am going up to bed."

Mlle. Jeanne had hardly left the room before Henri Verbier also rose
from the table and prepared to follow her example.

M. Louis gave M. Muller a friendly dig in his comfortable paunch.

"A pound to a penny," he said, "that friend Verbier means to make up to
Mlle. Jeanne. Well, I wish him luck! But that young lady is not very
easy to tame!"

"You didn't succeed," M. Muller replied unkindly, "but it doesn't follow
that nobody else will!"

* * * * *

M. Louis was not deceived: Henri Verbier evidently did think his
neighbour at table a very charming young woman.

Mlle. Jeanne had hardly reached her room on the fifth floor of the
hotel, and flung open her window t