"I devised one."
"What was it?"
"I took all the jewels out of the case, and put them into my various pockets; and I carried the case to divert attention from those pockets."
She looked at me, her face at first all perplexity; gradually the light broke upon her.
"Simple, wasn't it?" I murmured.
"Then the jewels are not stolen?"
"Certainly not. The jewels are in my pockets. If you recollect, I said it was the jewel-case that was stolen."
I began to smile.
"Mr. Foster," she said, smiling too, "I am extremely angry."
"Forgive the joke," I entreated. "Perhaps it is a bad one—but I hope not a very bad one, because very bad jokes are inexcusable. And here are your jewels."