Formery.

"I should think so," said the Duke. "I looked on them as already
belonging to me, for my father-in-law was going to give them to me
as a wedding present."

"A great loss--a great loss. But we will recover them, sooner or
later, you can rest assured of it. I hope you have touched nothing
in this room. If anything has been moved it may put me off the scent
altogether. Let me have the details, inspector."

The inspector reported the arrival of the Duke at the police-station
with Arsene Lupin's letter to M. Gournay-Martin; the discovery that
the keys had been changed and would not open the door of the house;
the opening of it by the locksmith; the discovery of the concierge
and his wife gagged and bound.

"Probably accomplices," said M. Formery.

"Does Lupin always work with accomplices?" said the Duke. "Pardon my
ignorance--but I've been out of France for so long--before he
attained to this height of notoriety."

"Lupin--why Lupin?" said M. Formery sharply.

"Why, there is the letter from Lupin which my future father-in-law
received last night; its arrival was followed by the theft of his
two swiftest motor-cars; and then, these signatures on the wall
here," said the Duke in some surprise at the question.