you know my married sister, and I were talking
about you. She was extremely distressed. I assured her that you must be
very far away or very deeply buried somewhere not to have given a sign of
life under this provocation."

Naturally Monsieur George wanted to know what it was all about; and the
other appeared greatly relieved.

"I was sure you couldn't have heard. I don't want to be indiscreet, I
don't want to ask you where you were. It came to my ears that you had
been seen at the bank to-day and I made a special effort to lay hold of
you before you vanished again; for, after all, we have been always good
friends and all our lot here liked you very much. Listen. You know a
certain Captain Blunt, don't you?"

Monsieur George owned to knowing Captain Blunt but only very slightly.
His friend then informed him that this Captain Blunt was apparently well
acquainted with Madame de Lastaola, or, at any rate, pretended to be. He
was an honourable man, a member of a good club, he was very Parisian in a
way, and all this, he continued, made all the worse that of which he was
under the painful necessity of warning Monsieur George. This Blunt on
three distinct occasions when the name of Madame de Lastaola came up in
conversation in a mixed company of men had expressed his regret that she
should have become the prey of a young adventurer who was exploiting her
shamelessly. He talked like a man certain of his facts and as he
mentioned names . . .

"In fact," the young man burst out excitedly, "it is your name that he
mentions. And in order to fix the exact personality he always takes care
to add that you are that young fellow who was known as Monsieur George
all over the South amongst the initiated Carlists."

How Blunt had got enough information to base that atrocious calumny upon,
Monsieur George couldn't imagine. But there it was. He kept silent in
his indignation till his friend murmured, "I expect you will want him to
know that you are here."

"Yes," said Monsieur George, "and I hope you will consent to act for me
altogether. First of all, pray, let him know by wire that I am waiting
for him. This will be enough to fetch him down here, I can assure you.
You may ask him also to bring two friends with him. I don't intend this
to be an affair for Parisian journalists to write paragraphs about."

"Yes. That sort of thing must be stopped at once," the other admitted.
He assented to Monsieur George's request t