And who does not remember the catastrophe in which all that wealth
was swallowed up? Of all that marvelous collection, nothing
remained except the famous black pearl. The black pearl! That is
to say a fortune, if she had wished to part with it.
But she preferred to keep it, to live in a commonplace apartment
with her companion, her cook, and a man-servant, rather than sell
that inestimable jewel. There was a reason for it; a reason she
was not afraid to disclose: the black pearl was the gift of an
emperor! Almost ruined, and reduced to the most mediocre
existence, she remained faithful to the companion of her happy and
brilliant youth. The black pearl never left her possession. She
wore it during the day, and, at night, concealed it in a place
known to her alone.
All these facts, being republished in the columns of the public
press, served to stimulate curiosity; and, strange to say, but
quite obvious to those who have the key to the mystery, the arrest
of the presumed assassin only complicated the question and
prolonged the excitement. Two days later, the newspapers published
the following item:
"Information has reached us of the arrest of Victor Danegre, the
servant of the Countess d'Andillot.
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