Formery was at the table writing. Guerchard stood
beside him. He handed what he had written to Guerchard, and, with a
smile of satisfaction, Guerchard folded the paper and put it in his
pocket.

"Well, M. Formery, did Mademoiselle Kritchnoff throw any fresh light on
this mystery?" said the Duke, in a tone of faint contempt.

"No--in fact she convinced ME that she knew nothing whatever about it.
M. Guerchard seems to entertain a different opinion. But I think that
even he is convinced that Mademoiselle Kritchnoff is not a friend of
Arsene Lupin."

"Oh, well, perhaps she isn't. But there's no telling," said Guerchard
slowly.

"Arsene Lupin?" cried the Duke. "Surely you never thought that
Mademoiselle Kritchnoff had anything to do with Arsene Lupin?"

"I never thought so," said M. Formery. "But when one has a fixed idea
... well, one has a fixed idea." He shrugged his shoulders, and looked
at Guerchard with contemptuous eyes.

The Duke laughed, an unaffected ringing laugh, but not a pleasant one:
"It's absurd!" he cried.

"There are always those thefts," said Guerchard, with a nettled air.

"You have nothing to go upon," said M. Formery. "What if she did enter
the service of Mademoiselle Gournay-Martin just before the thefts
began? Besides, after this lapse of time, if she had committed the
thefts, you'd find it a job to bring them home to her. It's not a job
worth your doing, anyhow--it's a job for an ordinary detective,
Guerchard."

"There's always the pendant," said Guerchard. "I am convinced that that
pendant is in the house."

"Oh, that stupid pendant! I wish I'd never given it to Mademoiselle
Gournay-Martin," said the Duke lightly.

"I have a feeling that if I could lay my hand on that pendant--if I
could find who has it, I should have the key to this mystery."

"The devil you would!" said the Duke softly. "That is odd. It is the
oddest thing about this business I've heard yet."

"I have that feeling--I have that feeling," said Guerchard quietly.

The Duke smiled.

CHAPTER XVI

VICTOIRE'S SLIP

They were silent. The Duke walked to the fireplace, stepped into it,
and studied the opening. He came out again and said: "Oh, by the way,
M. Formery, the policeman at the front door wanted to stop me going out
of the house when I went home to change. I take it that M. Guerchard's
prohibition does not apply to me?"

"Of course not--of course not, your Grace," said M. Formery quickly.

"I saw t