"Not at all. Isn't that enough for you? The countess is saved. The count, not possessing the least proof against her, is compelled by his mother to forego the divorce and to give up the child. That is all. Since then, he has left his wife, who is living happily with her son, a fine lad of sixteen."
"Yes ... yes ... but the way in which the countess was saved?"
Lupin burst out laughing:
"My dear old chap"—Lupin sometimes condescends to address me in this affectionate manner—"my dear old chap, you may be rather smart at relating my exploits, but, by Jove, you do want to have the i's dotted for you! I assure you, the countess did not ask for explanations!"
"Very likely. But there's no pride about me," I added, laughing. "Dot those i's for me, will you?"
He took out a five-franc piece and closed his hand over it.
"What's in my hand?"
"A five-franc piece."
He opened his hand. The five-franc piece was gone.
"You see how easy it is! A working jeweller, with his nippers, cuts a ring with a date engraved upon it: 23rd of October. It's a simple little trick of sleight-of-hand, one of many which I have in my bag. By Jove, I didn't spend six months with Dickson, the conjurer,[C] for nothing!"