He muttered that he did; and that he meant no harm by it.

"Show it to me, then," I said curtly.

He grew red at that, and seemed for an instant not to understand.
But on my repeating the order he thrust his hand into his breast,
and producing a parcel began to unfasten it. This he did so
slowly that I was soon for thinking that there was no watch in
it; but in the end he found one and handed it to me.

"You did not make this," I said, opening it.

"No, my lord," he answered; "it is German, and old."

I saw that it was of excellent workmanship, and I was about to
hand it back to him, almost persuaded that I had made a mistake,
when in a second my doubts were solved. Engraved on the thick
end of the egg, and partly erased by wear, was a dog's head,
which I knew to be the crest of the Perrots.

"So," I said, preparing to return it to him, "you are a
clockmaker?"

"Yes, your excellency," he muttered. And I thought that I caught
the sound of a sigh of relief.

I gave the watch to Maignan to hand to him. "Very well," I said.
"I have need of one. The clock in the next room--a gift from his
Majesty--is out of order, and at a standstill. You can go and