a question to ask you," she went on. "You will either give me
a serious reply, or wish me good-morning." With this brief preface,
she made her inquiry as to the wisdom and possibility of engaging the
services of the French police.

Felix took exactly the view of the matter which had been already
expressed by Mr. Troy. "Superior in intelligence," he said, "but not
superior in courage, to the English police. Capable of performing
wonders on their own ground and among their own people. But, my dear
aunt, the two most dissimilar nations on the face of the earth are the
English and the French. The French police may speak our language--but
they are incapable of understanding our national character and our
national manners. Set them to work on a private inquiry in the city of
Pekin--and they would get on in time with the Chinese people. Set them
to work in the city of London--and the English people would remain, from
first to last, the same impenetrable mystery to them. In my belief the
London Sunday would be enough of itself to drive them back to Paris
in despair. No balls, no concerts, no theaters, not even a museum or a
picture-gallery open; every shop shut up but the gin-shop; and nothing
moving but the church bells and the men who sell the penny ices.
Hundreds of Frenchmen come to see me on their first arrival in England.
Every man of them rushes back to Paris on the second Saturday of his
visit, rather than confront the horrors of a second Sunday in London!
However, you can try it if you like. Send me a written abstract of the
case, and I will forward it to one of the official people in the Rue
Jerusalem, who will do anything he can to oblige me. Of course," said
Felix, turning to Mr. Troy, "some of you have got the number of the lost
bank-note? If the thief has tried to pass it in Paris, my man may be of
some use to you."

"Three of us have got the number of the note," answered Mr. Troy; "Miss
Isabel Miller, Mr. Moody, and myself."

"Very good," said Felix. "Send me the number, with the abstract of the
case. Is there anything else I can do towards recovering the money?"
he asked, turning to his aunt. "There is one lucky circumstance in
connection with this loss--isn't there? It has fallen on a person who
is rich enough to take it easy. Good heavens! suppose it had been _my_
loss!"

"It has fallen doubly on me," said Lady Lydiard; "and I am certainly
not rich enough to take it _that_ easy. The money was destined to a