“What diamond?”
“The blue diamond! The celebrated diamond which formed part of the royal crown of France, and which was given by the Duke d’Aumale to Leonide Lebrun, and, at the death of Leonide Lebrun, was purchased by the Baron d’Hautrec as a souvenir of the charming comedienne that he had loved so well. That is one of those things that an old Parisian, like I, does not forget.”
“It is obvious that if the blue diamond is not found, the motive for the crime is disclosed,” said the magistrate. “But where should we search for it?”
“On the baron’s finger,” replied Charles. “He always wore the blue diamond on his left hand.”
“I saw that hand, and there was only a plain gold ring on it,” said Ganimard, as he approached the corpse.
“Look in the palm of the hand,” replied the servant.
Ganimard opened the stiffened hand. The bezel was turned inward, and, in the centre of that bezel, the blue diamond shone with all its glorious splendor.
“The deuce!” muttered Ganimard, absolutely amazed, “I don’t understand it.”
“You will now apologize to Lupin for having suspected him, eh?” said Mon. Dudouis, laughing.
Ganimard paused for a moment’s reflection, and then replied, sententiously: