by this door."

So saying, she led me from the station into the street outside, along
which we passed for some considerable distance. Eventually we reached a
restaurant, before which Valerie paused.

"The proprietor is an old friend of mine," she said, "who, though he is
acquainted with Pharos, will not, I am quite sure, tell him he has seen
us."

We entered, and when the majordomo came forward to conduct us to a
table, Valerie inquired whether his master were visible. The man stated
that he would find out, and departed on his errand.

While we waited I could not help noticing the admiring glances that were
thrown at my companion by the patrons of the restaurant, among whom
were several officers in uniform. Just, however, as I was thinking that
some of the latter would be none the worse for a little lesson in
manners, the shuffling of feet was heard, and presently, from a doorway
on the right, the fattest man I have ever seen in my life made his
appearance. He wore carpet slippers on his feet, and a red cap upon his
head, and carried in his hand a long German pipe with a china bowl. His
face was clean shaven, and a succession of chins fell one below another,
so that not an inch of his neck was visible. Having entered the room, he
paused, and when the waiter had pointed us out to him as the lady and
gentleman who had asked to see him, he approached and affected a
contortion of his anatomy which was evidently intended to be a bow.

"I am afraid, Herr Schuncke, that you do not remember me," said Valerie,
after the short pause that followed.

The man looked at her rather more closely, and a moment later was bowing
even more profusely and inelegantly than before.

"My dear young lady," he said, "I beg your pardon ten thousand times.
For the moment, I confess, I did not recognise you. Had I done so I
should not have kept you standing here so long."

Then, looking round, with rather a frightened air, he added, "But I do
not see Monsieur Pharos? Perhaps he is with you, and will be here
presently?"

"I sincerely hope not," Valerie replied. "That is the main reason of my
coming to you." Then, sinking her voice to a whisper, she added, as she
saw the man's puzzled expression, "I know I can trust you, Herr
Schuncke. The truth is, I have run away from him."

"Herr Gott!" said the old fellow. "So you have run away from him. Well,
I do not wonder at it, but you must not tell him I said so. How you
could have put up with h