the Bourse and the sharp men of business are
just as dishonest. They are thieves like ourselves under a more
euphonious name."

Carlier smiled at his friend's philosophy. Yet he was thinking of the
future of the girl with whom he was, as yet, unacquainted--the girl who
had chosen to link her life with that of the merry, careless, but
unscrupulous young fellow before him. They were bosom friends, it was
true, yet he knew, alas! how utterly callous Ralph Ansell was where
women were concerned, and he recollected certain ugly rumours he had
heard, even in their own undesirable circle.

They spoke of Jean again, and Ralph told him her name.

"We will dine there to-morrow night," he added. "Then we will come on
here, and go forth to Bond Street at half-past eleven. I've watched the
police for the past week, and know their exact beat. Better bring round
the things you've brought from Paris in a taxi to-morrow morning."

The "things" referred to were an oxy-acetylene gas-jet, and a number of
the latest inventions of burglarious tools--indeed, all the equipment of
the expert safe-breaker.

That night the pair went forth and dined at the Cafe Royal in Regent
Street, and afterwards went to the Palace Theatre, finishing up at a
night club in Wardour Street. Then, on the following morning, Carlier
returned, bringing with him the heavy but unsuspicious-looking
travelling trunk he had conveyed from Paris.

In the evening Ralph and he went to the Provence Restaurant, but,
to their disappointment, Jean was not there. She had been home, but
had left half an hour later to go to Balham to visit one of her
fellow-assistants at the Maison Collette who was dangerously ill. She
had taken with her some fruit and flowers.

Annoyed at her absence, Ralph had suggested the Trocadero for dinner.

"It's better than in this wretched little hole," he added to Carlier, in
an undertone. "And we'll want a good dinner before we get to business,"
he added, with a sinister grin.

So they had wished old Libert a merry _bon soir_, and were driven in a
taxi along to the Trocadero grill-room, where, amid the clatter of
plates, the chatter, and the accompanying orchestra, they found
themselves in their own element.

At half-past ten they ascended to Ansell's flat, and each had a stiff
brandy-and-soda and a cigar.

Both men were expert thieves, therefore it was not surprising that, by
half-past two o'clock next morning, wearing cotton gloves and dark