ttle moment upon the two cups and
saucers, the two empty glasses, the two spoons, which still remained
on the table. And yet had not Inspector Loup called attention to the
fact one would never have suspected that he had seen anything.

"Pardon, Monsieur Marot," he said, half behind his hand, "but I am not
disturbing any quiet little--er----"

"Not yet, Monsieur l'Inspecteur," replied the young man, suggestively.
"Go on, I beg."

"Ah! not yet? Good! Very well,--then I will try not to do so."

Whereupon Monsieur l'Inspecteur dived down into a deep pocket and
brought up a package neatly wrapped in pink paper and sealed with a
red seal.

The package bore the address of "M. Jean Marot."

"May I ask if Monsieur Marot can divine the contents of this parcel?"

"Monsieur l'Inspecteur will pardon me,--I'm not good at guessing."

"Monsieur missed some personal property after his arrest----"

"If that is my property," Jean interrupted, brusquely, "it ought to be
a gold watch, hunting case, chronometer, Geneva make, with
eighteen-carat gold chain, dragon-head design for hook; a bunch of
keys, seven in number, and a door-key, and about one hundred and
eighty francs in paper, gold, and silver."

"Very good. Excellent memory, monsieur. It ought to serve you well
enough to keep out of such brawls hereafter. Here,--examine!"

Hastily opening the package, Jean found his watch and chain and
everything else intact, so far as he could recollect. He expressed his
delight,--and when his grasp left the thin hand of the police official
it was to leave a twenty-franc gold piece there.

"Will monsieur kindly sign this receipt?" inquired Monsieur
l'Inspecteur, whose hand had closed upon the coin with true official
instinct.

"But how and where did they get the things back?" inquired Jean,
having complied with this reasonable request.

"I know nothing about that," said the man.

"And how did they know I had lost them? I never complained."

"Then perhaps somebody else did, eh?"

The bright little fishy right eye partially closed to indicate a
roguish expression.

"Bon soir, monsieur."

And with another wink which meant "You can't fool me, young man," he
was gone.

"Well, this is luck!" muttered Jean aloud. He examined the watch
lovingly. It was a present from his father. "But how did they get
these? how did they know they were mine? and how did they know where I
lived? Who asked----"

He went back to the closet and told Ml