"Remember what I have just told you about undue inquisitiveness, Mr. Hargreave! You will find out all you want to know in due course. So possess yourself in patience and act always with foresight as well as with discretion." I chanced to raise my eyes at that moment, when I noticed that a well-dressed, black-mustached Frenchman, who wore white spats, while passing along the terrace of the fine _al fresco_ restaurant had halted a second to peer into Madame's face, no doubt struck by her handsome features. She noticed it also but turned her head, and spoke to me of something else. A woman knows instinctively when she is being admired. The position in which I now found myself, employed by a man who was undoubtedly a crook of no mean order, caused me considerable trepidation. When I had assumed the responsibility of that innocent-looking suit-case I never dreamt that it contained Lady Norah Kendrew's stolen jewels, as it did, otherwise I would certainly never have attempted to pass it through the Customs at Rouen. But why and how, I wondered, had Lola's suspicions been aroused? Why had she warned me? Rayne had probably sent messengers with stolen property to France by that route before, knowing that, contrary to the shrewd examination at Calais, the officers of certain trading ships and the _douaniers_ were on friendly terms. When again I raised my eyes furtively to the Frenchman in the white spats I was relieved to find that he had disappeared. My fears that he might be an agent of the Surete were groundless. The afternoon was delightful as we sat beneath the trees, but Madame suddenly recollected an engagement she had with her dressmaker at five o'clock, so we reentered our taxi and drove back to the Porte Maillot and thence direct to the hotel. We found the door of the sitting-room locked, but as Madame turned the handle Duperre's voice was heard inquiring who was there. "Open the door, Vincent," urged his wife. "All right! Wait a moment," was the reply. We heard the quick rustling of paper, and after a lapse of perhaps a minute he unlocked the door for us to enter. "Well? Had a nice time--eh?" he asked, turning to me as he reclosed the door and again locked it. I replied in the affirmative, noticing that on the table was something covered with a newspaper. "I've been busy," he said with a grin, and lifting the paper disclosed a quantity of bracelets, rings, pendants and other ornaments from which the gems had been removed. During our absence he had been occupied in removing the stolen jewels from their settings. "Yes," I laughed. "You seem to have been very busy, Vincent!" Beside the bent and broken articles of gold lay a little pile of glittering gems, none of them very large, but all of first quality. "Lady Norah wouldn't like to see her treasures in such a condition, would she?" laughed Duperre. "We shall get rid of them to old Heydenryck, who is arriving presently." "Who is he?"