oom was practically dark, though light from the Cave room
lessened the gloom so much that the figures could be distinguished
enough to know whether a man or a woman were crossing the floor.

The Sultan, Mr. Van Rawlston, lay on a divan, not far from the Cave
room, and facing it. Scheherezade, Miss Emily Remsen, sat on a cushion
beside him. Both of them faced the tableaux, and it will be seen at once
that from gazing towards the light, if either turned towards the
darkness, blindness would result for a few moments. Ali Baba, heading
the line of Forty Thieves came towards the divan. Here he stopped, made
a salaam, bowing low, bringing his arms up above the head outstretched
in front of him, then parting them with a swaying movement backwards, he
rose erect again. This done he passed on into the darker part of the
room. Next came the first of the Forty Thieves, Mr. Barnes following
close behind him. This man made his salaam, bowing low. As he did so
there was a slight noise. This attracted Mr. Barnes's attention for a
moment, and his eye wandered in the direction of the sound. For the
merest part of a second, however, did his gaze leave the man before him,
and when it returned he distinctly saw the figure do this. In making his
salaam when outstretching his arms he allowed his hand to pass just over
the head of Miss Remsen, who was looking down, perhaps to become
relieved from the glare of the other room. Mr. Barnes saw him
deliberately and slowly take hold of her ruby pin, gently withdrawing it
from her hair. Just then a clock began to chime the midnight hour.
Instantaneously a thought flashed through the detective's mind. At the
first note of the chimes the time had passed within which Mr. Mitchel
had wagered to commit his robbery. He had thought that the man who had
spoken to him had the voice of Mr. Mitchel. He had also come to this
place expecting that this very jewel would be stolen. He had supposed
that Thauret would play the part of accomplice and thief, whilst the
principal, Mitchel, was manufacturing an _alibi_ down in Philadelphia.
It was evident now, so he thought, that Mitchel had escaped his spies,
returned to New York, assumed one of the disguises which he himself had
placed within easy reach, and now, on the very stroke of the last hour
of his time, had committed his robbery,--a robbery, too, which would
make a commotion, and yet for which he could not be imprisoned if
detected, since his _fiancee_ at his in