composing
the floor-pattern turn right over. Then, lifting it as though it were
the lid of a box, he uncovered a sort of large round bowl, dug in the
thickness of the rock. It was empty.

A little farther, he went through the same performance. Another large
bowl appeared. It was also empty.

He did this three times over again. The three other bowls were empty.

"Eh," grinned Lupin. "What a disappointment! Under Louis XL, under
Henry IV., under Richelieu, the five bowls were full. But think of
Louis XIV., the folly of Versailles, the wars, the great disasters of
the reign! And think of Louis XV., the spendthrift king, with his
Pompadour and his Du Barry! How they must have drawn on the treasure in
those days! With what thieving claws they must have scratched at the
stone. You see, there's nothing left."

He stopped.

"Yes, Beautrelet, there is something--the sixth hiding-place! This one
was intangible. Not one of them dared touch it. It was the very last
resource, the nest-egg, the something put by for a rainy day. Look,
Beautrelet!"

He stooped and lifted up the lid. An iron box filled the bowl. Lupin
took from his pocket a key with a complicated bit and wards and opened
the box.

A dazzling sight presented itself. Every sort of precious stone
sparkled there, every color gleamed, the blue of the sapphires, the red
of the rubies, the green of the emeralds, the yellow of the topazes.

"Look, look, little Beautrelet! They have squandered all the cash, all
the gold, all the silver, all the crown pieces and all the ducats and
all the doubloons; but the chest with the jewels has remained intact.
Look at the settings. They belong to every period, to every century, to
every country. The dowries of the queens are here. Each brought her
share: Margaret of Scotland and Charlotte of Savoy; duchesses of
Austria: Eleonore, Elisabeth, Marie-Therese, Mary of England and
Catherine de Medicis; and all the arch--Marie Antoinette. Look at those
pearls, Beautrelet! And those diamonds: look at the size of the
diamonds! Not one of them but is worthy of an empress! The Pitt Diamond
is no finer!"

He rose to his feet and held up his hand as one taking an oath:

"Beautrelet, you shall tell the world that Lupin has not taken a single
one of the stones that were in the royal chest, not a single one, I
swear it on my honor! I had no right to. They are the fortune of
France."

Below them, Ganimard was making all speed. It was easy to