When they reached the street, Old King Brady laughed and said:

"They're all jealous of us. But we'll show them a trick or two, Harry."

"They'll be a surprised lot," laughed the boy. "We have them beaten
already."

They headed for the jewelry district and called upon several of the most
prominent importers and lapidaries, from whom they gained some very
valuable information. The last importer they spoke to said:

"Paul La Croix, a French-Canadian, was just in here with his daughter,
trying to sell us some smuggled diamonds. See--there he goes now."

He pointed out the window at a tall, thin, stylishly-clad man of forty in
light trousers, a black frock coat and high hat.

The detectives observed that he now did not have his daughter with him.

From where they were, they could see that La Croix had a thin, sallow face,
a long, sharp nose and a closely-trimmed dark moustache.

He turned into Broadway and disappeared in the crowd.

"Who is he?" asked Old King Brady, of the dealer in precious stones.

"A mystery. No one knows. He makes many trips between New York and Havre to
smuggle diamonds which he sells here. Every jeweler in the Lane knows him.
Some deal with him."