f it to find out at once whether you are or are not deserving of some
little interest. I don't want to tell you more just at present." Juve
slipped into a specially prepared notch a thin strip of wood, which he
had selected with particular care from one of the heaps of material
arranged along the wall. From a chest he took a tool which Charles
Rambert, who had had some intimate experience of late with the
light-fingered community, immediately recognised as a jemmy. "Take hold
of that," said Juve, and as Charles took it in his hand he added: "Now
put the jemmy into this groove, and press with all your force. If you
can move that needle to a point which I know, and which it is difficult
but not impossible to reach, you may congratulate yourself on being in
luck."

Stimulated by this encouragement from the detective, Charles Rambert
exerted all his force upon the lever, only afraid that he might not be
strong enough. Juve stopped him very soon.

"That's all right," he said, and substituting a strip of sheet-iron for
the strip of wood, he handed another tool to the lad. "Now try again."

A few seconds later Juve took a magnifying lens, and closely examined
both the strip of metal and the strip of wood. He gave a little
satisfied click with his tongue, and seemed to be very pleased.

"Charles Rambert," he remarked, "I think we are going to do a very good
morning's work. Dr. Bertillon's new apparatus is an uncommonly useful
invention."

The detective might have gone on with his congratulatory monologue had
not an attendant come into the room at that moment.

"Ah, there you are, M. Juve: I have been looking for you everywhere.
There is someone asking for you who says he knows you will receive him.
I told him this was not the proper time, but he was so insistent that I
promised to bring you his card. Besides, he says you have given him an
appointment."

Juve took the card and glanced at it.

"That's all right," he said. "Take the gentleman into the parlour and
tell him I will be with him in a minute." The attendant went out and
Juve looked at Charles Rambert with a smile. "You are played out," he
said; "before we do anything else common humanity requires that you
should get some rest. Come, follow me; I will take you to a room where
you can throw yourself on a sofa and get a sleep for a good hour at
least while I go and see this visitor." He led the lad into a small
waiting-room, and as Charles Rambert obediently stret