arrested every
individual, in all Paris, who seemed to be touched by the very faintest
suspicion; in vain La Regnie raged, striving to compel confession; in
vain guards and patrols were reinforced. Not a trace of the
perpetrators of those outrages was to be discovered. The only thing
which was of a certain degree of use was to go about armed to the
teeth, and have a light carried before you; and yet there were cases in
which the servant who carried the light had his attention occupied by
having stones thrown at him, whilst at that very instant his master was
being robbed and murdered.

It was a remarkable feature of this business that, notwithstanding all
search and investigation in every quarter where there seemed to be any
chance of dealing in jewels going on, not a trace of even the smallest
of the plundered precious stones ever came to light. Desgrais foamed in
fury that even his acumen and skill were powerless to prevent the
escape of those scoundrels. Whatever part of the town he happened to be
in for the time was let alone, whilst in some other quarter, robbery
and murder were lying in wait for their rich prey.

Desgrais hit upon the clever idea of setting several facsimiles of
himself on foot--various Desgrais, exactly alike in gait, speech,
figure, face, &c.; so that his own men could not tell the one of them
from the other, or say which was the real Desgrais. Meanwhile he, at
the risk of his life, watched alone in the most secret hiding-places,
and followed, at a distance, this or the other person who seemed, by
the looks of him, to be likely to have jewels about him. But those whom
he was watching were unharmed, so that this artifice of his was as well
known, to the culprits as everything else seemed to be. Desgrais was in
utter despair.

One morning he came to President La Regnie, pale, distorted, almost out
of his mind.

"What is it--what news? Have you come upon the clue?" the President
cried to him as he came in.

"Ah, Monsieur!" cried Desgrais, stammering in fury, "last night, near
the Louvre, the Marquis de la Fare was set upon under my very nose!"

"Heaven and earth!" cried La Regnie, overjoyed, "we have got them!"

"Wait a moment, listen," said Desgrais, with a bitter smile. "I was
standing near the Louvre, watching and waiting, with hell itself in my
heart, for those devils who have been baffling me for such a length of
time. There came a figure close by me--not seeing me--with careful
uncer