towards him swinging the gold token, the bearer of which had the right
to take whatever he chose from all the hundred and thirty-one
departments of the stores in exchange for a simple receipt.

'I will interview the burglar,' said Hugo. 'But just run down first and
get me a pair of handcuffs.'

In ten minutes Simon returned crestfallen.

'We do not keep handcuffs, sir,' he stammered.

'Not--keep--! What nonsense! First you tell me that "Fidelio" is not in
the répertoire, and then you have the effrontery to add that we do not
keep handcuffs. Shawn, are you not aware that the fundamental principle
of this establishment is that we keep everything? If we received an
order for a herd of white elephants--'

'No doubt our arrangement with Jamrach's would enable us to supply them,
sir,' Simon put in rapidly. 'But handcuffs seem to be a monopoly of the
State.'

'Evidently, Shawn, you are not familiar with the famous remark of Louis
the Fourteenth.'

'I am not, sir.'

'He said, "_L'état, c'est moi_." Show me the catalogue.'

Simon, bearing on his shoulders at that moment the sins of ten managers,
scurried to bring an immense tome, bound in crimson leather, and