there, despoiled of their jewels, like flowers from which the
beautiful colored petals had been ruthlessly plucked. And this
theft must have been committed at the time Lady Jerland was taking
her tea; in broad daylight, in stateroom opening on a much
frequented corridor; moreover, the thief had been obliged to force
open the door of the stateroom, search for the jewel-case, which
was hidden at the bottom of a hat-box, open it, select his booty
and remove it from the mountings.

Of course, all the passengers instantly reached the same
conclusion; it was the work of Arsene Lupin.

That day, at the dinner table, the seats to the right and left of
Rozaine remained vacant; and, during the evening, it was rumored
that the captain had placed him under arrest, which information
produced a feeling of safety and relief. We breathed once more.
That evening, we resumed our games and dances. Miss Nelly,
especially, displayed a spirit of thoughtless gayety which
convinced me that if Rozaine's attentions had been agreeable to
her in the beginning, she had already forgotten them. Her charm
and good-humor completed my conquest. At midnight, under a bright
moon, I declared my devotion with an ardor that did not seem to
displease her.

But, next day, to our general amazement, Rozaine was at liberty.
We learned that the evidence against him was not sufficient. He
had produced documents that were perfectly regular, which showed
that he was the son of a wealthy merchant of Bordeaux. Besides,
his arms did not bear the slightest trace of a wound.