“May I beg you to do it with every possible consideration?”

“You may rely upon me for that.”

An hour later, the banker’s valet was in the police director’s private room, who first of all looked at his man very closely, and then came to the conclusion that such an honest, unembarrassed face, and such quiet, steady eyes could not possibly belong to a criminal.

“Do you know why I have sent for you?”

“No, your Honor.”

“A large theft has been committed in your master’s house,” the police director continued, “from his bedroom.  Do you suspect anybody?  Who has been into the room, within the last few days?”

“Nobody but myself, except my master’s family.”

“Do you not see, my good fellow, that by saying that, you throw suspicion on yourself?”

“Surely, sir,” the valet exclaimed, “you do not believe...”

“I must not believe anything; my duty is merely to investigate and to follow up any traces that I may discover,” was the reply.  “If you have been the only person to go into the room within the last few days, I must hold you responsible.”

“My master knows me...”

The police director shrugged his shoulders:  “Your master has vouched for your honesty, but that is not enough for me.  You are the only person on whom, at present, any suspicion rests, and therefore I must—­sorry as I am to do so—­have you arrested.”

“If that is so,” the man said, after some hesitation, “I prefer to speak the truth, for my good name is more to me than my situation.  Somebody was in my master’s apartments yesterday.”

“And this somebody was...?”

“A lady.”

“A lady of his acquaintance?”

The valet did not reply for some time.

“It must come out,” he said at length.  “My master keeps a woman—­you understand, sir, a pretty, fair woman; and he has furnished a house for her and goes to see her, but secretly of course, for if my mistress were to find it out, there would be a terrible scene.  This person was with him yesterday.”

“Were they alone?”

“I showed her in, and she was in his bedroom with him; but I had to call him out after a short time, as his confidential clerk wanted to speak to him, and so she was in the room alone for about a quarter of an hour.”

“What is her name?”

“Caecelia K——­; she is a Hungarian.”  At the same time the valet gave him her address.

Then the director of police sent for the banker, who, on being brought face to face with his valet, was obliged to acknowledge the truth of the facts which the latter had alleged, painful as it was for him to do so; whereupon orders were given to take Caecelia K——­ into custody.