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Rh reputation with his pals was bad, however, and not many thieves cared to work with him.

From what Ivan had told me, I doubted that he trusted Chu-Chu. But Chu-Chu was too valuable to lose, if it could be helped, and too dangerous to quarrel with. I did not give Ivan himself the credit for a high-grade physical pluck. No doubt he was dangerous enough in his way, but it would not be his own hand that struck.

As the case stood, Ivan had played his game cleverly. Whether he suspected me of daring to lay evidence with the police or not, he had avoided bringing things to a crisis by giving me Miss Daljghren's pearls on my simple protest. But in disclaiming all knowledge of the theft of Edith's pearls and promising to restore them if possible, he had passed the affair up to Chu-Chu. I felt sure that Chu-Chu would deny all knowledge of the matter and that Ivan would, also. But I felt equally sure that the pearls were at that very moment in Chu-Chu's possession. In this case, he had flatly disobeyed the orders of the Chief.

Now, if Ivan were to say nothing about my having charged Chu-Chu with the job, but waited for Chu-Chu to bring up the subject himself, I felt pretty sure that he would have to wait a long time. If, on the contrary, he brought up the subject at once, Chu-Chu might either deny everything or else admit having stolen the pearls and hand them over. Ivan had no wish to quarrel with Chu-Chu. He might want to break with him, but he would prefer to do this peacefully. If he were to get the pearls I thought it very possible that he would deny the fact