"Bravo, my dear Mascarin, you have excelled yourself to-day!" Worried and perplexed as Paul had been, as Mascarin concluded he sank back in his chair, sick and giddy with emotion.
"Yes," said Mascarin in a clear and ringing voice, "I accept your praise without any affectation of false modesty.

We have no reason to fear the intervention of that grain of sand which sometimes stops the working of the machine.

Perpignan, poor fool though he is, will be our best friend, and will do our work quite unconsciously.

Can the Duke retain any atom of suspicion after these minute investigations?
Impossible.

But to remove the slightest element of doubt, I have another and an additional plan.