accordingly. Above
all things, the delivery of the snuff box to Hartmann must be prevented.
On that point the Prefect was emphatic." The young man turned into a
cross street as he concluded and was swallowed up in the crowd.

Dufrenne, after securing his room at the Hotel Metropole, sat down to
wait. He did not have to wait long. The young man, Lablanche, joined him
in a short time. "We have just learned," he said, gravely, "that our
suspicions are entirely correct. Dr. Hartmann is responsible for the
theft of the snuff box, and is momentarily expecting the man who is to
deliver it to him."

Dufrenne looked grave. "Duvall should know this without delay," he said.

He had no more than spoken, when the telephone bell in his room rang. He
hastened to reply and found Duvall at the other end of the wire. "Come
to the Hotel Universelle," the latter said, laconically. "Hurry. I will
wait for you."

Dufrenne communicated the message to Lablanche. The latter nodded.
"Good!" he said. "Give Monsieur Duvall the information you have, and
above all, impress upon him the necessity of acting immediately. There
is no time for delay. I will follow at once, with another of our men."

The curio dealer found Duvall pacing anxiously up and down the hotel
corridor, pretending to be searching a railway time-table. He nodded
imperceptibly toward the cafe as Dufrenne entered, then turned and went
out into the street. The old man followed him--in a few moments they
were conversing rapidly in the doorway of a near-by shop.

Dufrenne had but a few words to say, but they were sufficient to show
Duvall the extreme gravity of the situation. He stood for several
moments, considering the best way by which the delivery of the stolen
snuff box to Dr. Hartmann might be prevented. Then he signaled a cab
which he saw approaching. "Seltz is breakfasting--inside," he said
quickly to Dufrenne. "Don't let him out of your sight. I am going to see
Dr. Hartmann." He sprang into the cab, gave the doctor's name to the
cabman, and in a moment was being driven rapidly up the street, leaving
the little old Frenchman standing blinking with astonishment on the
sidewalk.

CHAPTER X

When Richard Duvall left the Hotel Universelle, en route to the office
of Dr. Hartmann, he had no definite idea of just what he intended to do
on reaching there. One thought was uppermost in his mind--he must
prevent, in some way, and at any cost, the delivery of the snuff box