Cleek sucked in his breath and regarded the man silently, steadily, for a long time.  Then: 

“Is that true, Count?” he asked.  “On your word of honour as a soldier and a gentleman, is that true?”

“As true as Holy Writ, monsieur.  On my word of honour.  On my hopes of heaven!”

“Very well, then,” said Cleek quietly.  “Tell me the case, Count.  I’ll take it.”

“Monsieur, my eternal gratitude.  Also the reward is—­”

“We will talk about that afterward.  Sit down, please, and tell me what you want me to do.”

“Oh, monsieur, almost the impossible,” said the Count despairfully.  “The outwitting of a woman who must in very truth be the devil’s own daughter, so subtle, so appalling are the craft and cunning of her.  That, for one thing.  For another, the finding of a paper, which, if published—­as the woman swears it shall be if her terms are not acceded to—­will be the signal for his Majesty’s overthrow.  And, for the third”—­emotion mastered him; his voice choked up and failed; he deported himself for a moment like one afraid to let even his own ears hear the thing spoken of aloud, then governed his cowardice and went on—­“For the third thing, monsieur,” he said, lowering his tone until it was almost a whisper, “the recovery—­the restoration to its place of honour before the coronation day arrives—­of that fateful gem, Mauravania’s pride and glory—­’the Rainbow Pearl!’”

Cleek clamped his jaws together like a bloodhound snapping and over his hardening face there came a slow-creeping, unnatural pallor.

“Has that been lost?” he said in a low, bleak voice.  “Has he, this precious royal master of yours, this usurper—­has he parted with that thing—­the wondrous Rainbow Pearl?”

“Monsieur knows of the gem, then?”

“Know of it?  Who does not?  Its fame is world-wide.  Wars have been fought for it, lives sacrificed for it.  It is more valuable than England’s Koh-i-noor, and more important to the country and the crown that possess it.  The legend runs, does it not, that Mauravania falls when the Rainbow Pearl passes into alien hands.  An absurd belief, to be sure, but who can argue with a superstitious people or hammer wisdom into the minds of babies?  And that has been lost—­that gem so dear to Mauravania’s people, so important to Mauravania’s crown?”

“Yes, monsieur—­ah, the good God help my country!—­yes!” said the Count brokenly.  “It has passed from his Majesty’s hands; it is no longer among the crown jewels of Mauravania—­a Russian has it.”

“A Russian?” Cleek’s cry was like to nothing so much as the snarl of a wild animal.  “A Russian to hold it—­a Russian?—­the sworn enemy of Mauravania—­the race most hated of her people!  God help your wretched king, Count Irma, if this were known to his subjects.”

“Ah, monsieur, it is that we dread—­it is that against which we struggle,” replied the Count.  “If that jewel were missing on the coronation day, if it were known that a Russian holds it—­Dear God! the populace would rise—­rise, monsieur, and tear his Majesty to pieces.”