highest regard."

"I am proud of it."

"I have always said: Ganimard is our best detective. He is almost,--you
see how candid I am!--he is almost as clever as Sherlock Holmes. But I
am sorry that I cannot offer you anything better than this hard stool.
And no refreshments! Not even a glass of beer! Of course, you will
excuse me, as I am here only temporarily."

Ganimard smiled, and accepted the proffered seat. Then the prisoner
continued:

"Mon Dieu, how pleased I am to see the face of an honest man. I am so
tired of those devils of spies who come here ten times a day to ransack
my pockets and my cell to satisfy themselves that I am not preparing to
escape. The government is very solicitous on my account."

"It is quite right."

"Why so? I should be quite contented if they would allow me to live in
my own quiet way."

"On other people's money."

"Quite so. That would be so simple. But here, I am joking, and you are,
no doubt, in a hurry. So let us come to business, Ganimard. To what do I
owe the honor of this visit?

"The Cahorn affair," declared Ganimard, frankly.

"Ah! Wait, one moment. You see I have had so many affairs! First, let me
fix in my mind the circumstances of this particular case....Ah! yes, now
I have it. The Cahorn affair, Malaquis castle, Seine-Inferieure....Two
Rubens, a Watteau, and a few trifling articles."

"Trifling!"

"Oh! ma foi, all that is of slight importance. But it suffices to know
that the affair interests you. How can I serve you, Ganimard?"

"Must I explain to you what steps the authorities have taken in the
matter?"

"Not at all. I have read the newspapers and I will frankly state that
you have made very little progress."

"And that is the reason I have come to see you."

"I am entirely at your service."

"In the first place, the Cahorn affair was managed by you?"

"From A to Z."

"The letter of warning? the telegram?"

"All mine. I ought to have the receipts somewhere."

Arsene opened the drawer of a small table of plain white wood which,
with the bed and stool, constituted all the furniture in his cell, and
took therefrom two scraps of paper which he handed to Ganimard.

"Ah!" exclaimed the detective, in surprise, "I though you were closely
guarded and searched, and I find that you read the newspapers and
collect postal receipts."

"Bah! these people are so stupid! They open the lining of my vest, they
examine the soles of my shoes, they sound the walls o