"
"The scheme worked perfectly."
"Well, I knew when I came here that there was a casket concealed in
a safe with a secret lock, and that the seven-of-hearts was the key
to that lock. I had merely to place the card upon the spot that
was obviously intended for it. An hour's examination showed me
where the spot was."
"One hour!"
"Observe the fellow in mosaic."
"The old emperor?"
"That old emperor is an exact representation of the king of hearts
on all playing cards."
"That's right. But how does the seven of hearts open the larger
safe at one time and the smaller safe at another time? And why did
you open only the larger safe in the first instance? I mean on the
night of 22 June."
"Why? Because I always placed the seven of hearts in the same way.
I never changed the position. But, yesterday, I observed that by
reversing the card, by turning it upside down, the arrangement of
the seven spots on the mosaic was changed."
"Parbleu!"
"Of course, parbleu! But a person has to think of those things."
"There is something else: you did not know the history of those
letters until Madame Andermatt---"
"Spoke of them before me? No.
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