Bajeau, and here was
at least a promising result from his advertisement. He longed to rush
back at once to the quaint little shop, but he had been asked to come in
the evening, and the old gentleman had a certain dignity of manner that
Don respected. He felt that he must be patient and await the appointed
hour.

It came at last, and by that time Donald had enjoyed a hearty meal,
written to Mr. Wogg, and made all needed preparations to take the
earliest train for Paris the next day.

M. Bajeau--good old man!--was made happy as a boy by the sight of Ellen
Lee's letter.

"It is great good luck, my friend, that it should come to you," he said,
in rapid French, his old cheeks faintly flushing with pleasure. "Now,
you take my word, if she is tall, dark, fine-looking--this Madame Rene,
eh?--you have found the very _bonne_ who came to my little shop with the
widow lady. Ask her about me--if she remember, eh? how I engraved the
two letters with my own hand, while she stood by, holding the pink-faced
baby--ha! ha!" (Here Monsieur rubbed his hands.) "She will remember! She
will prove what I say, without doubt. She will know about the key to the
necklace--yes, and the lock that has the air of a clasp. Let me see it
again. You have it with you?"

Donald displayed the treasure promptly.

"Stay," said Monsieur. "I will, with your permission, try and open the
little lock for you. I shall be very careful."

"No, no--thank you!" said Donald, quickly, as M. Bajeau took up a
delicate tool. "I would rather wait till I have tried to find the key,
and until my uncle and--and sister have seen it again just as it is. My
uncle, I am positive, never discovered that the top of the clasp could
be slid around in this way. The key itself may come to light yet--who
knows? Now, Monsieur, will you do me a great favor?"

"Name it," replied the old man, eying him not unkindly.

"Will you allow me to cut that page out of your order-book?"

"Certainly, my boy; certainly, and with pleasure," said M. Bajeau.

No sooner said than done. Donald, who had his penknife ready, delighted
M. Bajeau with his clever way of cutting out the page close to its inner
side, and yet in a zigzag line, so that at any time afterward the paper
could be fitted into its place in the book, in case it should be
necessary to prove its identity.

Next the story of the chain was retold with great care, and written down
by Don as it came from Monsieur's lips, word for word,