"We are willing to help all we can," said Chester. "With a little forethought we should have been able to recover it ourselves. Robard made monkeys of us."
"He made a monkey of me, too," said the colonel ruefully.
"The thing to be done," said Chester, "is to get track of him."
"That's easy enough," was the reply. "He can be found at the embassy; but he will deny that he has the paper. Also, we cannot arrest him. Being a member of a foreign embassy, in times of peace he is immune from arrest."
"And he will take the paper with him when he leaves Italy," said
Major Derevaux.
"It was stolen once," said Hal thoughtfully. "Why cannot it be stolen again?"
"What do you mean?" asked Colonel Fuesco.
"Just what I say. Robard stole the document from you. Some one must recover it from Robard without his knowledge."
"An excellent idea!" exclaimed General Ferrari. "But who will do this work?"
"We shall be glad to undertake it, your excellency," said Hal.