But here a difficulty presented itself.
The front door could not be opened. Peace had firmly secured it with his screws.
The whole party rushed to the back entrance, which was equally well secured.
Everybody was astonished, as well they might be. It seemed like sorcery.
One of the man-servants unfastened the shutters of the front parlour, and threw open the window, and by this means succeeded in leaving the premises.
In about a quarter of an hour he returned with three police officers.
The usual formula had to be gone through. A list of the missing articles, as far as these could be ascertained, was made by the inspector, who declared the robbery had been committed by a practised hand.
He was perfectly right, but this was but poor consolation to the owner of the property.
He asked the girl if she could identify the burglar. She answered in the negative.
She had only seen his back. His face she never caught sight of, and even assuming she had, identification would have been almost impossible.