He laughed and the woman replied, resignedly:
"Well, I hope your dream will come true, Paul."
"Take zees seat an' 'ave your suppair, my dear. You need ze rest, for to-night we leave New York by rail for Canada, for I have sold all ze stones I had, an' mail my draft to Paris."
Old King Brady smiled and muttered:
"I'm glad you've told me your business, old fellow."
The shadows of twilight had fallen by this time and the hall was getting dark.
Hearing some one coming downstairs from an upper floor, the old detective retreated along the hall and crouched back in a doorway.
He pressed himself back flat against the door hoping the person who was coming would pass him in the gloom without observing his presence.
Unfortunately the door behind him was not shut tight.
As he pressed his back against it, it flew inward all of a sudden and pitching over backward, the detective fell sprawling upon the floor of a small room adjoining the one occupied by La Croix and his wife.