d smooth. The lightness of
the box surprised him--it seemed to weigh almost nothing, as he balanced
it on the palm of his hand.

The circular top of the box was curiously ornamented with a circle of
small colorless pearls, of trifling value, set at regular intervals
about the edge of the cover. Within this row of pearls was an
inscription in Latin, carved in tiny letters in the ivory. From its
first words, "_Pater noster_," Duvall saw that it was the Lord's Prayer.
The letters extended around the circumference of the box in several
concentric lines, or rings, inside of the ring of pearls. In the center
of the box was a cross of ivory, carved so as to be slightly raised
above its general surface. Beyond this, the box contained no other
ornamentation.

Along the front edge of the box Duvall noticed a small spring. He
pressed it, in considerable excitement. Evidently the reason for the
box's value must be within--some papers, no doubt, of extreme
importance. He saw the cover of the box fly upward and glanced hastily
inside. The box contained nothing but a few pinches of snuff.

Duvall was almost tempted to laugh. The whole thing seemed so
ridiculous--so utterly absurd. Absent-mindedly he tried a pinch of the
snuff, inhaling it into his nostrils. It produced nothing more startling
than a violent fit of sneezing. Undoubtedly Monsieur de Grissac had told
the truth. He did use snuff.

Closing the box, Duvall regarded it for a moment in silence, then looked
at Dufrenne. "It isn't worth a hundred francs," he said.

"The box?" answered the curio dealer, as he followed Duvall's glances.
"No, monsieur--what you say is indeed true, yet I would not sell it for
a hundred million."

"But why? What is there about it that makes it so valuable? Surely you
can tell me that, now that we have safely recovered it."

"Alas, monsieur. I could not tell you, even if I knew, which I assure
you I do not. I can only say that Monsieur Lefevre has told me that it
holds within it the honor of my beloved country, and therefore I would
not sell it for all the money in the world."

Duvall was clearly puzzled. "Well," he said at length, as he thrust the
box into his pocket, "there's evidently some mystery about the thing
that I do not understand, but I suppose I shall, some day. Just at
present our first duty is to return the box to Monsieur de Grissac."

"You are right, monsieur, and at once. There is a train for Antwerp in
half an hour. From t