sed the
pie and the cognac in such a manner that the moment Theodore woke his
eyes were bound to alight on them. Then I waited. I absolutely ached
to have a taste of that pie myself, it smelt so good, but I waited.

Theodore woke at nine o'clock. He struggled like a fool, but he still
appeared half dazed. No doubt he thought that he was dreaming. Then I
sat down on the edge of the bed and cut myself off a large piece of
the pie. I ate it with marked relish in front of Theodore, whose eyes
nearly started out of their sockets. Then I brewed myself a cup of
coffee. The mingled odour of coffee and garlic filled the room. It was
delicious. I thought that Theodore would have a fit. The veins stood
out on his forehead and a kind of gurgle came from behind the scarf
round his mouth. Then I told him he could partake of the pie and
coffee if he told me what he had done with the bracelet. He shook his
head furiously, and I left the pie, the cognac and the coffee on the
table before him and went into the antechamber, closing the office
door behind me, and leaving him to meditate on his treachery.

What I wanted to avoid above everything was the traitor meeting M.
Jean Duval. He had the bracelet--of that I was as convinced as that I
was alive. But what could he do with a piece of false jewellery? He
could not dispose of it, save to a vendor of theatrical properties,
who no doubt was well acquainted with the trinket and would not give
more than a couple of francs for what was obviously stolen property.
After all, I had promised Theodore twenty francs; he would not be such
a fool as to sell that birthright for a mess of pottage and the sole
pleasure of doing me a bad turn.

There was no doubt in my mind that he had put the thing away somewhere
in what he considered a safe place pending a reward being offered by
Mlle. Mars for the recovery of the bracelet. The more I thought of
this the more convinced I was that that was, indeed, his proposed plan
of action--oh, how I loathed the blackleg!--and mine henceforth would
be to dog his every footstep and never let him out of my sight until I
forced him to disgorge his ill-gotten booty.

At ten o'clock M. Jean Duval arrived, as was his wont, supercilious
and brusque as usual. I was just explaining to him that I hoped to
have excellent news for him after the next performance of _Le Reve_
when there was a peremptory ring at the bell. I went to open the door,
and there stood a police inspect