snared you yourself. How could I distrust a beggar recommended to me
by Oosterlinck, one hundred thousand francs of whose money I hold in
my hands. I will wager the Jew's letter and seal were forged! In
short, sire, I found myself this morning robbed of those jewels you
admired so much. They have been ravished from me, sire! To steal the
jewels of the Elector of Bavaria! those scoundrels respect nothing!
they'll steal your kingdom if you don't take care. As soon as I missed
the jewels I went up to the room of that apprentice, who is,
assuredly, a past-master in thieving. This time we don't lack proof.
He had forced the lock of his door. But when he got back to his room,
the moon was down and he couldn't find all the screws. Happily, I felt
one under my feet when I entered the room. He was sound asleep, the
beggar, tired out. Just fancy, gentlemen, he got down into my
strong-room by the chimney. To-morrow, or to-night, rather, I'll roast
him alive. He had a silk ladder, and his clothes were covered with marks
of his clambering over the roof and down the chimney. He meant to stay
with me, and ruin me, night after night, the bold wretch! But where
are the jewels? The country-folks coming into town early saw him on
the roof. He must have had accomplices, who waited for him by that
embankment you have been making. Ah, sire, you are the accomplice of
fellows who come in boats; crack! they get off with everything, and
leave no traces! But we hold this fellow as a key, the bold scoundrel!
ah! a fine morsel he'll be for the gallows. With a little bit of
_questioning_ beforehand, we shall know all. Why, the glory of your
reign is concerned in it! there ought not to be robbers in the land
under so great a king."

The king was not listening. He had fallen into one of those gloomy
meditations which became so frequent during the last years of his
life. A deep silence reigned.