"Monsieur missed some personal property after his arrest——"
"If that is my property," Jean interrupted, brusquely, "it ought to be a gold watch, hunting case, chronometer, Geneva make, with eighteen-carat gold chain, dragon-head design for hook; a bunch of keys, seven in number, and a door-key, and about one hundred and eighty francs in paper, gold, and silver."
"Very good. Excellent memory, monsieur. It ought to serve you well enough to keep out of such brawls hereafter. Here,—examine!"
Hastily opening the package, Jean found his watch and chain and everything else intact, so far as he could recollect. He expressed his delight,—and when his grasp left the thin hand of the police official it was to leave a twenty-franc gold piece there.
"Will monsieur kindly sign this receipt?" inquired Monsieur l'Inspecteur, whose hand had closed upon the coin with true official instinct.
"But how and where did they get the things back?" inquired Jean, having complied with this reasonable request.
"I know nothing about that," said the man.
"And how did they know I had lost them? I never complained."
"Then perhaps somebody else did, eh?"
The bright little fishy right eye partially closed to indicate a roguish expression.