I confess that Godfrey’s indifference to the fate of the cabinet surprised me greatly; besides, I was hoping that he would wish to meet the fascinating Frenchman.  More fascinating, if possible, than he had been on Monday, and I soon found myself completely under his spell.  There had been less delay than he had anticipated in getting the cabinet off the boat and through the customs, and it was not yet three o’clock when we reached the Vantine house.

“I haven’t seen Mr. Godfrey,” Parks repeated, “but there’s others here as it fair breaks my heart to see.”

He motioned toward the door of the music-room, and, stepping to it, I saw that the inventory was already in progress.  The man in charge of it nodded to me, but I did not go in, for the sight was anything but a pleasant one.

“The cabinet is in the room across the hall,” I said to M. Armand, and led the way through the ante-room into the room beyond.

Parks switched on the lights for us, and my companion glanced with surprise at the heavy shutters covering the windows.

“We put those up for a protection,” I explained.  “We had an idea that some one would try to enter.  In fact, one evening we did find a wire connecting with the burglar-alarm cut, and, later on, saw some one peering in through the hole in that shutter yonder.”

“You did?” M. Armand queried quickly.

“Would you recognise the man, if you were to meet him again?”

“Oh, no; you see the hole is quite small.  There was nothing visible except a pair of eyes.  Yet I might know them again, for I never before saw such eyes—­so bright, so burning.  It was the night that Godfrey and I were trying to find the secret drawer, and those eyes gleamed like fire as they watched us.”

M. Armand was gazing at the cabinet, apparently only half listening.

“Ah, yes, the secret drawer,” he said.  “Will you show me how it is operated, Mr. Lester?  I am most curious about it.”

I placed my hand upon the table and pressed the three points which the veiled lady had shown us.  The first time, I got the order wrong, but at the second trial, the little handle fell forward with a click, and I pulled the drawer open.

“There it is,” I said.  “You see how cleverly it is constructed.  And how well it is concealed.  No one would suspect its existence.”

He examined it with much interest; pushed it back into place, and then opened it himself.

“Very clever indeed,” he agreed.  “I have never seen another so well concealed.  And the idea of opening it only by a certain combination is most happy and original.  Most secret drawers are secret only in name; a slight search reveals them; but this one....”

He pushed it shut again, and examined the inlay around it.

“My friend and I went over the cabinet very carefully and could not find it,” I said.

“Your friend—­I think you mentioned his name?”