Ralph pressed the button of his electric lamp, and a small spot of light shone upon the glass. Then, with expert hand, he quickly smeared it with treacle, and afterwards, with a glazier's diamond, cut out a piece sufficient to allow him to insert his hand and turn the latch within.
A moment later, both men were inside the large, well-furnished _salle-à-manger_, treading noiselessly upon the thick Turkey carpet, though "The Eel," in entering, unfortunately stumbled, and in grabbing the door to prevent himself falling, cut his hand badly, even through the india-rubber gloves they both wore.
The pair lost no time in clearing the fine, carved sideboard of the quantity of valuable plate it contained. Then, led by Ralph, to whom the interior of the big house was well known, "The Eel" entered the cosy, luxuriously-furnished library, which was the private den of the chief secret agent of the German Empire.
It was not a large room. Its size was revealed to Adolphe by the flashing of his companion's lamp. Lined with books, and with a big, business-like writing-table placed in the window, it was a cosy place--a place with which many a spy of Germany was familiar and in which many a man had received a bundle of hundred-franc notes in return for information, or plans of France's armaments or defences.
From it a door led straight into the grounds, so that a visitor was not compelled to pass through the house in order to have a confidential chat with its owner, while in a farther corner of the garden was a door in the wall by which a side road might be gained.
Neither man spoke as they made a noiseless tour of the room. "The Eel" carried a capacious sack of black material, and into it thrust what knick-knacks seemed to be of value--several miniatures, a couple of gold snuff-boxes, a small box of Limoges enamel, and the like, while "The American" was busy with his skeleton keys at the drawers of the big writing-table.
Suddenly he beckoned to Adolphe, and the latter, as he approached, saw that he had succeeded in opening one of the small drawers. Within was a secret cavity known to the thief, for he had twice watched the German spy take money from it.
There was a spring at the back of the drawer, and as "The Eel" directed the rays of light inside, his companion fingered it, with the result that of a sudden a portion of the wood fell back and from within the other drew out a large bundle of French thousand-franc notes secured by an elastic band.