ned him
to the great Napoleon, and the description is an exceedingly apt one.

"By the way," I said, as we took a peep into our second bottle of
Perrier-Jouet, "there is a question I want to put to you. Do you happen
to be acquainted with a certain Mademoiselle Beaumarais?"

"I have known her for more years than she or I would care to remember,"
he answered. "For a woman who has led the life she has, she wears
uncommonly well. A beautiful creature! The very finest shoulders in all
Paris, and that is saying something."

He blew a kiss off the tips of his fingers, and raised his glass in her
honour.

"I drink to her in this noble wine, but I do not let her touch my money.
Oh no, _la belle Louise_ is a clever woman, a very clever woman, but
money trickles through her fingers like water through a sieve. Let me
think for a moment. She ruined the Marquis D'Esmai, the Vicomte
Cotforet, Monsieur D'Armier, and many others whose names I cannot now
recall. The first is with our noble troops in Cochin China, the second
is in Algeria, and the third I know not where, and now I have learnt
since my arrival in Paris that she has got hold of a young Englishman,
who is vastly wealthy. She will have all he has got very soon, and then
he will begin the world anew. You are interested in that Englishman,
of course?"

"How do you know that?"

"Because you question me about Mademoiselle Beaumarais," he answered. "A
good many people have asked me about her at different times, but it is
always the man they want to get hold of. You, my astute Fairfax, are
interested in the man, not because you want to save him from her, but
because he has done a little something which he should not have done
elsewhere. The money he is lavishing on Mademoiselle Louise, whence does
it come? Should I be very wrong if I suggested gems?"

I gave a start of surprise. How on earth did he guess this?

"Yes! I see I'm right," he answered with a little laugh. "Well, I knew
it a long time ago. Ah, you are astonished! You should surely never
allow yourself to be surprised by anything. Now I will tell you how I
come to know about the gems. Some time ago a certain well-known lady of
this city lost her jewel-case in a mysterious manner. The affair was
placed in my hands, and when I had exhausted Paris, I went to Amsterdam,
_en route_ if necessary for London. You know our old friends, Levenstein
and Schartzer?"

I nodded. I had had dealings with that firm on many occa