earned that the key and the cipher were contained
in the ivory snuff box, we do not know. Perhaps through Noel, the
Ambassador's servant, although Monsieur de Grissac is positive that he
never, under any circumstances, made use of the cipher in the presence
of a third person. That they did learn the whereabouts of the cipher,
however, we now realize only too well. When I told you that in the
missing snuff box lay not only my honor, but the honor of France, I
indulged in no extravagant statements. It is the solemn truth. Even now,
by means of the snuff box and key which you have delivered to them, our
enemies have no doubt read the stolen documents, and are preparing to
strike while we are as yet unprepared." He strode up and down the room
in a state of extreme excitement. "As a last desperate chance, I
attempted to send you a message by means of the phonograph record. I
hoped you might, in this way, learn the secret of the box, and by
destroying the key, render it useless. If you hesitated to do this,
fearing that, should Hartmann discover the key was missing he would
refuse to liberate you, you are worse than a traitor. You are a
contemptible coward. Let me tell you, Monsieur Duvall, if I had a son, I
should rather have struck him dead at my feet, than have had him fail me
in a crisis like this."

Grace began to weep, hysterically. "It was all my fault," she began. "I
told them the box was hidden in the room below, against my husband's
wishes."

"Where were you, then, that you say 'in the room below?'" asked Lefevre
suddenly.

"In the laboratory, on the second floor. My husband was confined in the
basement. I said I would tell--for they were killing him. He cried out
to me--forbidding me to do so. Then they took me away to the room
above."

"And left your husband alone, with the snuff box in his possession?"
demanded the Prefect, sternly.

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"About--about ten minutes," she replied, wondering at his question.

"And you," exclaimed the Prefect, in a voice of fury, turning on Duvall,
"were left alone in this room, with the snuff box in your possession,
for ten minutes, at the end of which time you calmly turned it over to
this fellow Hartmann. _Mon Dieu!_ Why did you not destroy it--crush it
under your heel--anything, to prevent our enemies from obtaining
possession of it?" He looked at Duvall, his face working convulsively.
"You--you are a--_sacre bleu!_--I cannot tell you what I think o