s keenly.

"Monsieur Lefevre had informed me of your coming, gentlemen," he
presently burst out. "We have no time to lose."

"Let us have the details of the affair, monsieur," Duvall remarked,
seating himself comfortably in his chair. "So far we are completely in
the dark."

"You know, do you not, that a valuable article, a small snuff box, to be
exact--has been stolen from me?"

"Yes. Of that I have been informed," the detective remarked, dryly. "I
am curious to learn why the loss of an article of so trivial a nature
should be regarded with such seriousness."

The Ambassador's eyes snapped--he seemed almost to resent the
detective's attitude. "It should be sufficient, monsieur, I think, that
it is so regarded. The task before us is to recover it--not discuss the
reasons for doing so."

"I disagree with you, monsieur. If the real value of the stolen article
is kept from me, how can I draw any conclusions as to the probable
object of its theft? Was it intrinsically valuable? Did it contain
anything of value? In short, why should any one have taken the trouble
to steal it? Tell me that, and I can act intelligently. Otherwise, I
shall be only groping about in the dark."

"I do not think so, monsieur." The Ambassador bent upon Duvall a
searching glance. "The fact that the box is gone should be sufficient.
All that I ask is that you recover it. You must trace its disappearance
from the material facts of the case. Conjecture will avail us nothing."

"Is the box then of no value?"

"I have not said so. As a matter of fact, its value is great. It has
been an heirloom in my family for many years. At one time it belonged to
Cardinal Mazarin."

"You think, then, that its intrinsic value alone might have prompted the
theft?"

"I think so--indeed, I very greatly hope so."

"Why?"

The Ambassador recovered himself with a start. Evidently he had said
more than he intended. It was some time before he answered the question
and then he did so lamely. "Its theft by someone interested in its value
as a curiosity would enable me to recover it most readily--by the
payment, of course, of a sum of money."

"True. But I assume, from what you say, that there might be other
reasons; that it might have been taken by those who suspected that it
had another value?"

For a moment Monsieur de Grissac appeared confused. Then he waved his
hand impatiently. "There are those," he said, "who seek to injure me.
They know that I prized t