The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet Part 50

"To M. the Director of the Museum of the Louvre:

"It has been my good fortune to come into possession of the rose-diamond known as the Mazarin. It is my wish to restore it to your collection, in order that it may no longer be necessary to delude the public with an imitation of coloured gla.s.s. It will give me great pleasure to present this brilliant to you, with my compliments, provided His Highness, the Grand Duke Michael, who preceded me in possession of the diamond, will join me in the gift.

Should he refuse, it will be my melancholy duty to cleave the diamond into a number of smaller stones, as it is too large for my use. But I hope that he will not refuse.

"CROCHARD, L'Invincible!"

What could the Grand Duke do? To have refused, would have made him the b.u.t.t of the boulevards. Besides, he was, after all, losing nothing which he had not already lost. So, with a better grace than one might have expected, he consented to join in the restoration. Two days later, the director of the Louvre discovered a packet upon his desk. He opened it and found within the Mazarin. When you visit the Louvre, you will see it in the place of honour in the gla.s.s case in the centre of the Gallery of Apollo, with an attendant on guard beside it. But already the circ.u.mstances of its restoration are fading from the public memory.

And Crochard? I do not know. Each morning, I read first the news from Paris, searching for L'Invincible in some new incarnation. I have his letter framed and hanging above my desk, and every day I read it over. One sentence, especially, is forever running in my head:

"I trust that, at some future time, it may be my privilege to be again engaged with you--the result is certain to be most interesting."

And I trust that it may be my privilege, also, to be present at that engagement!