"Madame la Comtesse does not believe that. Well--who knows?--perhaps she is right. Possibly she knows more of the nature and habits of the criminal classes than we, sharing as she does, no doubt, the apparently accurate and precise sources of information of monsieur le comte."
"At all events," Phinuit put in promptly, "I know what I would do if I possessed a little fortune in jewels, and learned that a thief of the ability of this Lone Wolf was at large in France: I would charter an armoured train to convey the loot to the strongest safe deposit vault in Paris."
"Thereby advertising to the Lone Wolf the exact location of the jewels, monsieur, so that he might at his leisure make his plans perfect to burglarise the vaults?"
"Is that likely?" Phinuit jeered.
Duchemin gave a slight shrug.
"One has heard that the fellow had real ability," he said.
The servant Jean came in, caught the eye of Madame de Sévénié, and announced:
"The chauffeur of Monsieur Monk wishes me to say he has completed repairs on the automobile, and the rain has ceased."