or in uniform with a sheaf of papers
in his hand.

Now, I am not over-fond of our Paris police; they poke their noses in
where they are least wanted. Their incompetence favours the
machinations of rogues and frustrates the innocent ambitions of the
just. However, in this instance the inspector looked amiable enough,
though his manner, I must say, was, as usual, unpleasantly curt.

"Here, Ratichon," he said, "there has been an impudent theft of a
valuable bracelet out of Mademoiselle Mars' dressing-room at the
Theatre Royal last night. You and your mate frequent all sorts of
places of ill-fame; you may hear something of the affair."

I chose to ignore the insult, and the inspector detached a paper from
the sheaf which he held and threw it across the table to me.

"There is a reward of two thousand five hundred francs," he said, "for
the recovery of the bracelet. You will find on that paper an accurate
description of the jewel. It contains the celebrated Maroni emerald,
presented to the ex-Emperor by the Sultan, and given by him to Mlle.
Mars."

Whereupon he turned unceremoniously on his heel and went, leaving me
face to face with the man who had so shamefully tried to swindle me. I
turned, and resting my elbow on the table and my chin in my hand, I
looked mutely on the soi-disant Jean Duval and equally mutely pointed
with an accusing finger to the description of the famous bracelet
which he had declared to me was merely strass and base metal.

But he had the impudence to turn on me before I could utter a
syllable.

"Where is the bracelet?" he demanded. "You consummate liar, you! Where
is it? You stole it last night! What have you done with it?"

"I extracted, at your request," I replied with as much dignity as I
could command, "a piece of theatrical jewellery, which you stated to
me to be worthless, out of an iron chest, the key of which you placed
in my hands. I . . ."

"Enough of this rubbish!" he broke in roughly. "You have the bracelet.
Give it me now, or . . ."

He broke off and looked somewhat alarmed in the direction of the
office door, from the other side of which there had just come a loud
crash, followed by loud, if unintelligible, vituperation. What had
happened I could not guess; all that I could do was to carry off the
situation as boldly as I dared.

"You shall have the bracelet, Sir," I said in my most suave manner.
"You shall have it, but not unless you will pay me three thousand
francs for