"Ofot，"saidMallory。"Hesayssomeoftheotherservantsmusthavehidde;
&hinkingMaoddedatHatch。"Ithihatisall，"heremarked。"Igratulateyou，MrMallory，upthemattertosuchaquidsatisfa。"
&eslatertheyleftthehouseandcaughtacarforthestist'shome。Hatchwasalittleedattheuerminationoftheaffair，andwasthoughtfullysilentforatime。
"Mallorydoesshowanoofhumanintelligehe?"hesaidatlastquizzically。
"NotthatIever;remarkedTheThinkiily。
"Buthefouure，"Hatsisted。
"Ofcoursehefoundit。Itutthereforhimtofind。"
"Putthereforhimtofind!"repeatedthereporter。"Didn'tJe?"
"Ifhedid，he'safool。"
"Well，ifhedidn'tstealit，whoputitthere?"
"DeLesseps。"
"DeLesseps!"echoedHatch。"Whythedeucedidhestealafiftythousand-dollarpidputiti'strunktobefound?"
&hinkiedaroundiahiment。"Attimes，MrHatch，Iamabsolutelyamazedatyourstupidity，"hesaidfrankly。"IderstanditinamanlikeMallory，butIhavealwaysgivefanastute，quick-wittedman。"
Hatchsmiledatthereproach。Itwasimehehadheardofit。ButnothingbearingontheprobleminhandwassaiduntiltheyreachedTheThinkingMae'sapartments。
"Theoioninmymind，MrHatch，"saidthestistthen，"iswhetherornotIshouldtakethetroubletorestoreMrKale'spictureatall。Heisperfectlysatisfied，andwillprobablyhediffere;
ðing。"GreatScott!"heexclaimed。"DoyoumeaurethatMalloryfoundwas-"
"Acopyinal，"supplemeist。"PersonallyIknownothiart;therefore，Iotsayfromobservationthatitisacopy，butIknowitfromthelogicofthethiheinalwastheframe，theknifeswervedalittleattheupperrighthahevasremainioldmethat。ThepicturethatMrMalloryfounddidnotdihthetheframe。Theisobvious。"
"AnddeLessepshastheinal?"
"DeLessepshastheinal。Howdidhegetit?Inanyoneofadozehaverolleditupandstuderhisighthavehadafederate。ButIdon'tthinkthatanyordiheftealedtohim。Iamgivifclever，asImustthe>
"Forinstance，heaskedforpermissiontocopytheWhistler，whichyousawwasthesamesizeastheRubens。Itwasgranted。Hecopieditpractiderguard，alwayswiththecethatMrKalehimselfwoulddropin。Ittookhimthreedaystocopyit，sohesays。Hewasaloheroomallthattime。HekMrKalehadideaadva，whatwouldhavebeeohavecopiedtheRubensinoil?Hecouldhaveremoveditfromtheframeimmediatelyafterhevaseditover，ainapositionnearhimwhereitcouldbequicealedifhewasied。Remember，thepictureisworthfiftythousanddollars;therefore，wasworththetrouble。
"DeLessepsisanartist-weknowthat-ahamahi，hehadnofears。osehisideaallalongwastousethecopyoftheRubensasasortofdecotawaywiththeinal。YousawthatMallorydidn'tknowthedifferewassafeforhimtosupposethatMrKalewouldn't。Hisoilhecouldgetawaygracefullywasofsomecritioisseur，perhaps，seeingthecopy。Hisboldnessweseereadilyihathepermittedhimselftodiscoverthetheft;thathediscovereditafterhehadvoluoassistMrKaleinthegeneralwthepithegallery。JusthowheputthepiJenning'strunkIdon'thappentoknow。Weemanyways。"Helaybahisispeakieadilyturnedupward，fingersplacedpreciselytiptotip。
"Theonlythingremainingistogogetthepicture。ItisindeLesseps'roomnow-youtoldmethat-aissafe。Idaresayheknowsthatifhetriedtorunawayitwouldiablyputhimundersuspi。"
"ButhowdidhetakethepitheKale'shome?"askedHatch。
"HetookitwithhimprobablyunderhisarmthedayheleftthehousewithMrKale，"wastheastonishingreply。
Hatchwasstaringathimieramomeistaroseaheadjoiningroom，aelephoherejingled。Whehepickeduphishataogether。
DeLessepswasiheirtup，aheyversedoftheerallyfortenminutes，whilethestist'seyeswereturnedinquirihereabouttheroom。Atlastthereothedoor。
"ItisDetectiveMallory，MrHatarkedTheThinki;Openthedoorforhim。"
DeLessepsseemedstartledforjusto，thenquiallory'seyeswerefullofquestioered。
"Ishouldlike，MrMallory，"begahinkily，"tocallyourattentiontothisrKale'spicturebyWhistler-overthemantelhere。Isn'titext?Youhaveseentheinal?"
Mallrunted。DeLesseps'fasteadapprepliment，blanchedsuddenly，andhishaly。Againhereselfandsmiled。
"Thebeautyofthispictureliesnotonlyinitsfaithfulheinal，"thestistwenton，"butalsoihatitairaordinaryces。Forinstan'tknowifyouknow，MrMallory，thatitispossiblesotobiyaherohingsintoapastewhichwouldeffectuallyblotoutanoilpainting，ahesametimeasurfaceforwatercolorwork。"
"Thiswatercolor-thiscopyofWhistler，"uedthestistevenly-"ispaintedonsuchapasteasIhavedescribed。Thatpasteinturheiure。Itberemovedithoutdamagetothepicture，whioil，sothatinsteadofacopyoftheWhistlerpainting，wehaveaninalbyRubens，worthfiftythousanddollars。Thatistrue;isn'tit，MrdeLesseps?"
Therelytothequestion-nowasanhourlater，afterdeLessepswassafelyiHatchcalledupTheThinkielephoneandaskedoion。
"HowdidyouknowthatthewatercoloraiheRubens?"
"BecauseitwastheonlyabsolutelysafewayinwhichtheRubenscouldbehopelesslylosttothosewhforit，aimeperfectlypreserved，"wastheaheThinki;ItoldyoudeLessepswasa，andalittlelogicdidtherest。Taysmakefour，MrHates，butallthetime。"