osing ground.

"This is the last room," said Lupin. "The treasury."

This one was quite different. It was round also, but very high and
conical in shape. It occupied the top of the edifice and its floor must
have been fifteen or twenty yards below the extreme point of the Needle.

On the cliff side there was no window. But on the side of the sea,
whence there were no indiscreet eyes to fear, two glazed openings
admitted plenty of light.

The ground was covered with a parqueted flooring of rare wood, forming
concentric patterns. Against the walls stood glass cases and a few
pictures.

"The pearls of my collection," said Lupin. "All that you have seen so
far is for sale. Things come and things go. That's business. But here,
in this sanctuary, everything is sacred. There is nothing here but
choice, essential pieces, the best of the best, priceless things. Look
at these jewels, Beautrelet: Chaldean amulets, Egyptian necklaces,
Celtic bracelets, Arab chains. Look at these statuettes, Beautrelet, at
this Greek Venus, this Corinthian Apollo. Look at these Tanagras,
Beautrelet: all the real Tanagras are here. Outside this glass case,
there is not a single genuine Tanagra statuette in the whole wide
world. What a delicious thing to be able to say!--Beautrelet, do you
remember Thomas and his gang of church-pillagers in the South--agents
of mine, by the way? Well, here is the Ambazac reliquary, the real one,
Beautrelet! Do you remember the Louvre scandal, the tiara which was
admitted to be false, invented and manufactured by a modern artist?
Here is the tiara of Saitapharnes, the real one, Beautrelet! Look,
Beautrelet, look with all your eyes: here is the marvel of marvels, the
supreme masterpiece, the work of no mortal brain; here is Leonardo's
Gioconda, the real one! Kneel, Beautrelet, kneel; all womankind stands
before you in this picture."

There was a long silence between them. Below, the sound of blows drew
nearer. Two or three doors, no more, separated them from Ganimard. In
the offing, they saw the black back of the torpedo-boat and the
fishing-smacks cruising to and fro.

The boy asked:

"And the treasure?"

"Ah, my little man, that's what interests you most! None of those
masterpieces of human art can compete with the contemplation of the
treasure as a matter of curiosity, eh?--And the whole crowd will be
like you!--Come, you shall be satisfied."

He stamped his foot, and, in so doing, made one of the discs