“Do examine these jewels! You are going to tell me that they are perfectly beautiful, are you not, Monsieur Thomery?”

The diamond broker offered them so naturally that Thomery gave way. He examined the pearls: he was, after all, a connoisseur.

“In truth, madame, these pearls are superb; unfortunately I am not enough of an expert to buy them without taking competent advice, that is if I thought of acquiring them eventually; but I repeat, I have no wish to acquire such things!”

Devil take it! thought Thomery. This blasted broker won’t take ‘no’ for an answer! Since I cannot rid myself of her by being pleasant, I shall make myself disagreeable...

But the would-be seller still insisted.

“Monsieur, you really cannot be a connoisseur, otherwise I am sure you would not return these pearls to me.” “But, madame!”

“And I am convinced that if Princess Sonia Danidoff had had them in her hand instead of you, she would have been greatly taken with them!”

The broker had emphasised her words so strangely that, suddenly, Thomery hesitated.

What did this mysterious visitor mean? What was it she considered so “extraordinary” about the jewels she had just submitted to him?... A suspicion flashed across his mind. “Whence come these pearls, madame?” But, at this question, the broker got up.

“Monsieur Thomery,” declared she, “I should be very vexed with myself were I to make you lose your evening... your time is precious; besides, in order to give you a proper answer to your question, I should have to make certain of facts I only now guess at.... Still, I think that without having told you anything definite, I have made you sufficiently understand what is in my mind... you will not now doubt the interest that the Princess Sonia Danidoff would have, were she able to examine these jewels.”

“Is that so?”

“Consequently, Monsieur Thomery, I am going to ask you if you will kindly show these pearls to the Princess; and then if you will be good enough to let me know what decision you come to, jointly with her. If you were a buyer, I fancy I might let you have these jewels on quite exceptional terms.”

Thomery visibly hesitated... He was looking at the pearls, which he was still holding in his hand, and he thought: One might swear that these are two of the pearls stolen from Sonia at my ball!

Thomery did not reply at once. The broker was looking at him with a smile; she seemed to guess his thoughts. Thomery, on his side, was examining the woman.

Is she simply a police informer? he asked himself.

One of those women who apparently are dealers, but are really in the pay of the police, and frequent jewellers for the purpose of tracing stolen jewels?

He was on the verge of asking her who she was, but he refrained.