ed. He was the famous
Chief-Inspector Guerchard, head of the Detective Department of the
Prefecture of Police, and sworn foe of Arsene Lupin.

The policeman at the door of the drawing-room saluted him briskly. He
was a fine, upstanding, red-faced young fellow, adorned by a rich black
moustache of extraordinary fierceness.

"Shall I go and inform M. Formery that you have come, M. Guerchard?" he
said.

"No, no; there's no need to take the trouble," said Guerchard in a
gentle, rather husky voice. "Don't bother any one about me--I'm of no
importance."

"Oh, come, M. Guerchard," protested the policeman.

"Of no importance," said M. Guerchard decisively. "For the present, M.
Formery is everything. I'm only an assistant."

He stepped into the drawing-room and stood looking about it, curiously
still. It was almost as if the whole of his being was concentrated in
the act of seeing--as if all the other functions of his mind and body
were in suspension.

"M. Formery and the inspector have just been up to examine the
housekeeper's room. It's right at the top of the house--on the second
floor. You take the servants' staircase. Then it's right at the end of
the passage on the left. Would you like me to take you up to it, sir?"
said the policeman eagerly. His heart was in his work.

"Thank you, I know where it is--I've just come from it," said Guerchard
gently.

A grin of admiration widened the already wide mouth of the policeman,
and showed a row of very white, able-looking teeth.

"Ah, M. Guerchard!" he said, "you're cleverer than all the examining
magistrates in Paris put together!"

"You ought not to say that, my good fellow. I can't prevent you
thinking it, of course; but you ought not to say it," said Guerchard
with husky gentleness; and the faintest smile played round the corners
of his mouth.

He walked slowly to the window, and the policeman walked with him.

"Have you noticed this, sir?" said the policeman, taking hold of the
top of the ladder with a powerful hand. "It's probable that the
burglars came in and went away by this ladder."

"Thank you," said Guerchard.

"They have even left this card-table on the window-sill," said the
policeman; and he patted the card-table with his other powerful hand.

"Thank you, thank you," said Guerchard.

"They don't think it's Lupin's work at all," said the policeman. "They
think that Lupin's letter announcing the burglary and these signatures
on the walls are only