The Rubens Scam

An entrepreneur's newly purchased Rubens appears to be a fake. Růžička, the gallery owner, is arrested. The inspector goes to a shoe repair shop whose owner persuades him that he is a good judge of character. People's shoes and, chiefly, the way in which they have been worn out, tell him more about their wearers than they would like to admit. The shoe repairer leads the inspector on the trail of a young artist who himself admits the truth: Some time before, Růžička had refused to buy his painting and so the artist had wanted to prove to him that he could paint. His girlfriend, an assistant working for Růžička, had secretly lent him a painting by Rubens and the artist had copied it almost to perfection. They had intended to tell Růžička everything, but it was too late and the painting had already been sold. The inspector acknowledges the fact that this was all the result of an unfortunate coincidence and he lets the matter drop. The shoe repairer points out to everyone that shoes which are carefully looked after speak openly of a good character, and the opposite also applies: he who wishes to have a good conscience must also ensure that his shoes are in top condition.