“And you have seen those pearls before?”

“Several times.  I am an expert in pearls and can recognize their value at a glance,” said Le Drieux with much dignity.

Jones gave a little chuckle and then turned deprecatingly to Mr. Merrick.

“You need not come with me to the station, sir,” said he; “but, if you wish to assist me, please send me a lawyer and then go to the Continental and tell Mr. Goldstein of my predicament.”

“I will do that,” promptly replied Uncle John.

Jones turned to bow to the girls.

“I hope you young ladies can forgive this disgraceful scene,” he remarked in a tone of regret rather then humiliation.  “I do not see how any effort of mine could have avoided it.  It seems to be one of the privileges of the people’s guardians, in your free country, to arrest and imprison anyone on a mere suspicion of crime.  Here is a case in which someone has sadly blundered, and I imagine it is the pompous gentleman who claims to know pearls and does not,” with a nod toward Le Drieux, who scowled indignantly.

“It is an outrage!” cried Beth.

“It’s worse than that,” said Patsy; “but of course you can easily prove your innocence.”

“If I have the chance,” the boy agreed.  “But at present I am a prisoner and must follow my captor.”

He turned to the officer and bowed to indicate that he was ready to go.  Arthur shook the young fellow’s hand and promised to watch his interests in every possible way.

“Go with him now, Arthur,” proposed Louise.  “It’s a hard thing to be taken to jail and I’m sure he needs a friend at his side at this time.”

“Good advice,” agreed Uncle John.  “Of course they’ll give him a preliminary hearing before locking him up, and if you’ll stick to him I’ll send on a lawyer in double-quick time.”

“Thank you,” said the boy.  “The lawyer first, Mr. Merrick, and then Goldstein.”

CHAPTER XVII

UNCLE JOHN IS PUZZLED

Uncle John was off on his errands even before Jones and Arthur Weldon had driven away from the hotel with the officer and Le Drieux.  There had been no “scene” and none of the guests of the hotel had any inkling of the arrest.

Uncle John had always detested lawyers and so he realized that he was sure to be a poor judge of the merits of any legal gentleman he might secure to defend Jones.

“I may as well leave it to chance,” he grumbled, as he drove down the main boulevard.  “The rascals are all alike!”

Glancing to this side and that, he encountered a sign on a building:  “Fred A. Colby, Lawyer.”

“All right; I mustn’t waste time,” he said, and stopping his driver he ascended a stairway to a gloomy upper hall.  Here the doors, all in a row, were alike forbidding, but one of them bore the lawyer’s name, so Mr. Merrick turned the handle and abruptly entered.