rose and made way for her. The father and the two eldest sons made
haste to follow her out of the room. But Bernard lingered behind,
apparently to admire the bric-a-brac on the cabinets. With infinite
quickness he grabbed two objects off the nearest, and followed his
brothers. The Duke sprang across the hall in three strides, caught
him by the arm on the very threshold, jerked him back into the hall,
and shut the door.

"No you don't, my young friend," he said sharply.

"Don't what?" said Bernard, trying to shake off his grip.

"You've taken a cigarette-case," said the Duke.

"No, no, I haven't--nothing of the kind!" stammered Bernard.

The Duke grasped the young man's left wrist, plunged his hand into
the motor-cap which he was carrying, drew out of it a silver
cigarette-case, and held it before his eyes.

Bernard turned pale to the lips. His frightened eyes seemed about to
leap from their sockets.

"It--it--was a m-m-m-mistake," he stammered.

The Duke shifted his grip to his collar, and thrust his hand into
the breast-pocket of his coat. Bernard, helpless in his grip, and
utterly taken aback by his quickness, made no resistance.

The Duke drew out a morocco case, and said: "Is this a mistake too?"