He came back to the fireplace and looked down at the heap of bricks, frowning: "I made a mistake there," he said.

"I ought to have taken those bricks down carefully, one by one." Quickly he took brick after brick from the pile, and began to range them neatly against the wall on the left.

The Duke watched him for two or three minutes, then began to help him.

It did not take them long, and under one of the last few bricks Guerchard found a fragment of a gilded picture-frame.
"Here's where they ought to have done their sweeping," he said, holding it up to the Duke.
"I tell you what," said the Duke, "I shouldn't wonder if we found the furniture in this house still." "Oh, no, no!" said Guerchard.

"I tell you that Lupin would allow for myself or Ganimard being put in charge of the case; and he would know that we should find the opening in the chimney.