it was The Sparrow who
had planned the great jewel robbery at Binet's, in the Rue de la Paix,
when some famous diamonds belonging to the Shah of Persia, which had
been sent to Paris to be reset, were stolen. It was The Sparrow, too,
who had planned the burglary at the art gallery of Evans and Davies in
Bond Street and stolen Raphael's famous Madonna.

During the daytime Hugh, anxious to get away to Brussels, but compelled
to obey the order of the mysterious Passero, spent the time in smoking
and reading books and newspapers with which Beppo's wife provided him,
while at night he would take long walks through the silent city, with
its gloomy old palaces, the courtyards of which echoed to his footsteps.
At such times he was alone with his thoughts and would walk around the
port and out upon the hills which surrounded the bay, and then sit down
and gaze out to the twinkling lights across the sea and watch the long
beams of the great lighthouse searching in the darkness.

His host and hostess were undoubtedly criminals. Indeed, they did not
hide the fact. Both were paid by The Sparrow to conceal and provide for
anyone whom he sent there.

He had been there four weary, anxious days when one evening a pretty,
well-dressed young French girl called, and after a short chat with
Beppo's wife became installed there as his fellow-guest. He did not know
her name and she did not tell him.

She was known to them as Lisette, and Hugh found her a most vivacious
and interesting companion. Truly, he had been thrown into very queer
company, and he often wondered what his friends would say if they knew
that he was guest in a hiding-place of thieves.

TENTH CHAPTER

A LESSON IN ARGOT

Late one evening the dainty girl thief, Lisette, went out for a stroll
with Hugh, but in the Via Roma they met an agent of police.

"Look!" whispered the girl in French, "there's a _pince sans rire_! Be
careful!"

She constantly used the argot of French thieves, which was often
difficult for the young Englishman to understand. And the dark-haired
girl would laugh, apologize, and explain the meaning of her strange
expressions.

Outside the city they were soon upon the high road which wound up the
deep green valley of the Bisagno away into the mountains, ever ascending
to the little hill-town of Molassana. The scene was delightful in the
moonlight as they climbed the steep hill and then descended again
into the valley, Lisette all the time goss