“I am not so sure of that,” said the solicitor; “but I will have a keener eye to examine into this, and one accustomed to these kinds of things, and who has often been employed to detect dexterous burglaries. Ah! here is John,” and turning to his servant, he desired him to go across the street and request Mr. Robins, the jeweller, to come to him for a few minutes, and to bring one or two of his spring saws with him. The two young sailors wondered what Mr. Stanmore expected to find, but the worthy solicitor remarked to William Thornton— “When on board the frigate in Toulon, who did you see there; were there many persons about?” “No, Mr. Stanmore, there were not; for after the committee men left, there was only the steward, three or four sailors, and about as many convicts or galley slaves, who were at liberty about the ship with only an iron ring round their ankles; but they did not come into the after cabins.” “Ah! here is Mr. Robins,” observed Mr. Stanmore, as the jeweller entered the room, bowed to the gentlemen present, and at once fixed a remarkably keen pair of grey eyes upon the casket. “Ah! Mr. Robins,” said the solicitor; “I see your eyes are upon this casket,” laying his hand on it. “Yes,” replied Mr. Robins, taking it up; “an Indian cabinet or casket, beautifully put together, and yet by no means a particularly safe article for holding valuables; for though exquisitely worked, and the edges all clasped and riveted, there is no security in the bottoms.” “Ah! so I thought,” said Mr. Stanmore; and then he briefly explained how he suspected the contents of the casket to have been stolen, without breaking the seal over the key-hole. “Nothing more easy,” remarked the jeweller, “to an expert burglar, with a watch-spring saw—the bottom has been taken out;” and drawing from his pocket a small case, he selected a remarkably fine blade of a knife, and began passing it along the edge or sides till the knife stopped. “Ah,” he continued, with a satisfied smile, “I see: a watch-spring saw, exceedingly fine, has been used here to cut the small pins holding the bottom to the sides,” and taking one of those instruments he passed it all round, finding only four pins and a powerful cement. He soon freed the bottom, and then all plainly perceived it had been previously held to the sides by twelve steel pins, which had been all sawed, the contents abstracted, and the bottom cleverly replaced, and four very small iron brads used to fasten it, and then cement put along the edges. “By Jove! that’s it,” said O’Loughlin, “there’s no mistake. This job was done on board that confounded ship whilst Mabel slept.” “Yes,” replied Mr. Stanmore, excessively chagrined, whilst William Thornton’s face flushed with vexation. “Ah!” remarked the jeweller, “some of those French convicts are most expert burglars.”