Part 20 (2/2)
”She is”
”In the first and third acts of the play she wears a gold bracelet set with large green stones”
”I noticed it the other night I had a seat in the parterre, I may say”
”I want that bracelet,” broke in the soi-disant Jean Duval uncereold strass I ad false jewellery I wish to have the bracelet copied in real stones, and to present it to her as a surprise on the occasion of the twenty-fifth perfor's ranso, an infinite areat store by the valueless trinket solely because of the n, and I want its disappearance to have every sereater will be the lovely creature's pleasure when, at my hands, she will receive an infinitely precious jewel the exact counterpart in all save its intrinsic value of the trifle which she had thought lost”
It all sounded deliciously romantic A flavour of the past century--before the endless war and abys to this proposed transaction There was nothing of the roturier, nothing of a Jean Duval, in this polished ht out this subtle sche himself in the eyes of his lady fair
Imy services entirely at M
le Marquis's disposal, and once more he broke in on my polished diction with that brusquerie which betrayed the man accustomed to be silently obeyed
”Mlle Mars wears the bracelet,” he said, ”during the third act of _Le Reve_ At the end of the act she enters her dressing-roo this entr'acte Mademoiselle with her own hands puts by all the jewellery which she has to wear during the eous scenes of the play In the last act--the finale of the tragedy--she appears in a plain stuff gohilst all her jewellery reposes in the s-roo the last act that I want you to enter her dressing-room and to extract the bracelet out of the safe for me”
”I, M le Marquis?” I stammered ”I, to steal a--”
”Firstly, M--er--er--Ratichon, or whatever your confounded name may be,” interposed my client with inimitable hauteur, ”understand that ain I shall be under the necessity of laying my cane across your shoulders and incidentally to take my business elsewhere Secondly, let ed probity are lost onthat I know all about the stolen treaty which--”
”Enough, M Jean Duval,” I said with a dignity equal, if not greater, than his own; ”do not, I pray you, misunderstand n to explain how I a and extract therefroht in the act and locked up for house-breaking and theft, I shall be eternally your debtor”
”The extracting of the trinket is your affair,” he rejoined dryly ”I will give you five hundred francs if you bring the bracelet to ain
”Your task will not be such a difficult one after all I will give you the duplicate key of the safe”
He dived into the breast pocket of his coat, and drew froe and cluet that easily enough,” he said nonchalantly, ”a couple of nights ago, when I had the honour of visiting Made-room A piece of wax in my hand, Mademoiselle's mo her hair, and the iinal key was ina model of the key and the actual theft of the bracelet out of the safe there is a wide gulf which a gentlee over
Therefore, I choose to employ you, M--er--er--Ratichon, to complete the transaction for me”
”For five hundred francs?” I queried blandly
”It is a fair suued
”Make it a thousand,” I rejoined firmly, ”and you shall have the bracelet within fourteen days”
He paused a rey eyes, cool and disdainful, were fixed searchingly on my face I pride myself on the way that I bear that kind of scrutiny, so even now I looked bland and withal purposeful and capable
”Very well,” he said, after a few moments, and he rose from his chair as he spoke; ”it shall be a thousand francs, M--er--er--Ratichon, and I will hand over the e for the bracelet--but it must be done within fourteen days, reive me a small sum on account I was about to take terrible risks, re, larceny, theft--call it what you will, it meant the _police correctionelle_ and a couple of years in New Orleans for sure He finally gave me fifty francs, and once more threatened to take his business elsewhere, so I had to accept and to look as urbane and dignified as I could