My Strangest Case

mpleted, off I fly again, seeming to breathe more freely when I am outside its boundaries. I don't know why this should be so, for I have always been treated wit

iminals seemed to afford him no sort of satisfaction. He probably regarded it as an attempt to put him off the scent, and I fancy he resented it. We reached Paris at seven o'clock, whereupon I invited him to dine with me at eight o'clock, at a res

I had bade the detective an

answered. "I know exactly what he's

replied. "Have you discover

Beaumarais, and that they are to dine together at the Café des Ambassadeurs to-night. They have been in an

é des Ambassadeurs to-night

on replied. "I only know that they a

w did you fi

was, where she lived, and then

his suspicions, I hope," I put in. "You o

careful for that. The maid and I are on very friendly term

she might chance to mention the fact to her mistress. She would doubtless let it fall in con

d. "I should be soon bowled out if

des Ambassadeurs to-night just to make sure of

ed. "I suppose you will be

ou have anything to communicate, you ca

g to her there in that old world peace, than to be dressing for a dinner at an up-to-date French restaurant. My toilet completed, I descended to the street, hired a fiacre, and drove to the restaurant where I had arranged to meet my friend. The place in question is neither an expensive nor a fashionable one. It has no halls of mirrors, no dainty little cabinets, but, to my thinking, you can obtain the best dinner in all Paris there. On reaching it I found my guest had been the first to arrive. We accordingly ascended the stairs to the room above, where we selected our table and sat down. My companion was a witty little man with half the languages of Europe on his tongue, and a knowledge of all the tricks and dodges of all the criminal fraternity at his finger-ends. He has since written a book on his experiences, and a stranger volume, or one more replete with a knowledge of the darker side of human nature it would be difficult to find. He had commenced his professional career as a doctor, and like myself had gradually drifted into the detective profession. Among other things

Perrier-Jouet, "there is a question I want to put to you. Do you

d. "For a woman who has led the life she has, she wears uncommonly well. A beautif

s of his fingers, and rais

uined the Marquis D'Esmai, the Vicomte Cotforét, Monsieur D'Armier, and many others whose names I cannot now recall. The first is with our noble troops in Cochin China, the second is in Algeria, and the third I know not where, and now

you kn

they want to get hold of. You, my astute Fairfax, are interested in the man, not because you want to save him from her, but because he has done a little someth

urprise. How on ear

by anything. Now I will tell you how I come to know about the gems. Some time ago a certain well-known lady of this city lost her jewel-case in a mysterious manner. The

dealings with that f

dy we have been discussing, come out. I have an excellent memory for faces, and when I saw him to-ni

is hands apart, like a conjurer who ha

e are speaking done ve

himself and his two partners," I answered. "He has not

ill go out and shoot himself, and she will pick up somebody else, and will begin to nibble-nibble just as before. As I say, there will be somebody else, and somebody else, right up to the end of the chapter. And with every one she will grow just an imperceptible bit older. By and by the wrinkles will appear; I fancy there are just one or two already. Then she will not be so fastidious about her hundred of thousand francs, and will condescend to think of mere thousands. After

and my only fear is that he will make a bolt. I can

criminal always does sooner or later; that is to say, he is becoming over-confident of his own powers to elude us. You and I, my friend, s

ew a cloud of smoke while

well aware that his stories

ed in to take over the case, but after some consideration could make nothing of it. I have no objection to admitting that I was completely baffled. Now it so happened that I discovered that the man's mother was of Irish extraction. He, believing that he would be safe on that island, engaged a passage on board a steamer from Havre to Belfast. She was to pick up at Southampton, Plymouth, and Bristol, en route. My man, who, by the way, was a very presentable person, and could be distinctly sociable when he pleased, endeavoured to make himself agreeable to t

h the astounding declaration that the lock had been forced, and the famous ring stolen from his trunk in which it had lain concealed. He certainly acted his part well, but he did not realize to what consequences it would lead. The matter was reported to the police, and a search was made through the vessel. The passengers were naturally indignant at such treatment, and for the rest of the voyage the man found himself taking, what you English 'call the cold shoulder.' He reached Belfast, made his way into the country, and presently settled down. Later on, when the pursuit had died down, it was his intention to ship for America, where he was to be joined by the woman, to obtain whom he had in the first place committed the crime. Now obs

amuse ourselves by endeavouring to find out how the

e," my companion said. "In that case, if you like we could

I had not the

ence. To-morrow morning I shall make

hen, I shall be most pleased to giv

ituated at the top of a lofty block of buildings near the river. From his windows he could look out over Paris, and he was wont to decla

tion of their owner. His clever old servant, Susanne, of whom 'twas said she would, did she but choose, make as clever a detective as her master (she had served him

ill be necessary for us to find out what they are doing. If you will w

heet of note-paper, rang the b

said, "and tell him to

h a great success in his own profession, what an admirable actor the man would have made! His power of facial conto

to be? As you are aware, I can offer you a varied selection. Will you be a wo

inces would suit me best," I answered, "whil

erly gentlemen in Paris for the first time. Let me conduct you to my dr

een sitting. It was very small, and lighted by means of a skylight. Indeed, it

ich I abominate, or to run the risk of being observed, which would have been far worse," he had remarked to me on

on blocks, pads of every possible order and for every part of the body, humps for hunchbacks, wooden legs, boots ranging from the patent leather of the dandy to the toeless foot-covering of the beggar. There were hats in abundance, from the spotless silk to the most miserable head coverings, some of which looked as if they had been picked up from the rubbish-heap.

the whole course of my professional career, have I found it necessary to conceal my iden

led with the crowd who had assembled to watch the audience come out. The inquiries we had made proved to be correct, and it was not very long before I saw the man I wanted emerge, accompanied by a female, who could be no other than Mademoiselle Beaumarais. Hayl

rrow morning I shall pay him a little visit. I think you were quite right in what y

red. "When she has finished with him ther

then home to bed. To-morrow will in a

ngs for Miss Kitwater. Little as I had to tell, the writing of this letter gave me considerable pleasure. I could imagine it coming like a breath from another world to that quiet house at Bishopstowe. I pictured the girl's face as she read it, and the strained

lar occasion I sat down on the best of terms with myself and the world in general. I made an excellent meal, did the best I could with the morning paper, for my French is certainly not above reproach, and then wondered when I should set out to interview the