ris will be there--all Paris,
that is, who are in Paris."

"Oh, I shall be fresh enough," said the Duke.

They went out of the drawing-room and down the stairs, all four of
them. There was an alert readiness about Guerchard, as if he were ready
to spring. He kept within a foot of the Duke right to the front door.
The detective in charge opened it; and they went down the steps to the
taxi-cab which was awaiting them. The Duke kissed Germaine's fingers
and handed her into the taxi-cab.

M. Gournay-Martin paused at the cab-door, and turned and said, with a
pathetic air, "Am I never to sleep in my own house again?" He got into
the cab and drove off.

The Duke turned and came up the steps, followed by Guerchard. In the
hall he took his opera-hat and coat from the stand, and went upstairs.
Half-way up the flight he paused and said:

"Where shall we wait for Lupin, M. Guerchard? In the drawing-room, or
in M. Gournay-Martin's bedroom?"

"Oh, the drawing-room," said Guerchard. "I think it very unlikely that
Lupin will look for the coronet in M. Gournay-Martin's bedroom. He
would know very well that that is the last place to find it now."

The Duke went on into the drawing-room. At the door Guerchard stopped
and said: "I will just go and post my men, your Grace."

"Very good," said the Duke; and he went into the drawing-room.

He sat down, lighted a cigarette, and yawned. Then he took out his
watch and looked at it.

"Another twenty minutes," he said.

CHAPTER XIX

THE DUKE GOES

When Guerchard joined the Duke in the drawing-room, he had lost his
calm air and was looking more than a little nervous. He moved about the
room uneasily, fingering the bric-a-brac, glancing at the Duke and
looking quickly away from him again. Then he came to a standstill on
the hearth-rug with his back to the fireplace.

"Do you think it's quite safe to stand there, at least with your back
to the hearth? If Lupin dropped through that opening suddenly, he'd
catch you from behind before you could wink twice," said the Duke, in a
tone of remonstrance.

"There would always be your Grace to come to my rescue," said
Guerchard; and there was an ambiguous note in his voice, while his
piercing eyes now rested fixed on the Duke's face. They seemed never to
leave it; they explored, and explored it.

"It's only a suggestion," said the Duke.

"This is rather nervous work, don't you know."

"Yes; and of course you're hardly fit for it,