To
discover them, therefore, meant to recover her. Do you wonder, then,
that from the moment we left Mr. Blake's house, the capture of that
brace of thieves became the leading purpose of our two lives?
CHAPTER XV
A CONFAB
Next morning Mr. Gryce and I met in serious consultation. How, and in
what direction should we extend the inquiries necessary to a
discovery of these Schoenmakers?
"I advise a thorough overhauling of the German quarter," said my
superior. "Schmidt, and Rosenthal will help us and the result ought to
be satisfactory."
But I shook my head at this. "I don't believe," said I, "that they
will hide among their own people. You must remember they are not
alone, but have with them a young woman of a somewhat distinguished
appearance, whose presence in a crowded district, like that, would be
sure to awaken gossip; something which above all else they must want
to avoid."
"That is true; the Germans are a dreadful race for gossip."
"If they dared to ill-dress her or ill-treat her, it would be
different. But she is a valuable piece of property to them you see, a
choice lot of goods which it is for their interest to preserve in
first-class condition till the day comes for its disposal. For I
presume you have no doubt that it is for the purpose of extorting
money from Mr.
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