d. "It's a good deal faded for
reproduction. Hullo! What have we here?"

The photograph showed Victoire in her Sunday best, and with her a boy
of seventeen or eighteen. Guerchard's eyes glued themselves to the face
of the boy. He stared at it, holding the portrait now nearer, now
further off. His eyes kept stealing covertly from the photograph to the
face of the Duke.

The Duke caught one of those covert glances, and a vague uneasiness
flickered in his eyes. Guerchard saw it. He came nearer to the Duke and
looked at him earnestly, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

"What's the matter?" said the Duke. "What are you looking at so
curiously? Isn't my tie straight?" And he put up his hand and felt it.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," said Guerchard. And he studied the photograph
again with a frowning face.

There was a noise of voices and laughter in the hall.

"Those people are going," said the Duke. "I must go down and say
good-bye to them." And he rose and went out of the room.

Guerchard stood staring, staring at the photograph.

The Duke ran down the stairs, and said goodbye to the millionaire's
guests. After they had gone, M. Gournay-Martin went quickly up the
stairs; Germaine and the Duke followed more slowly.

"My father is going to the Ritz to sleep," said Germaine, "and I'm
going with him. He doesn't like the idea of my sleeping in this house
to-night. I suppose he's afraid that Lupin will make an attack in force
with all his gang. Still, if he did, I think that Guerchard could give
a good account of himself--he's got men enough in the house, at any
rate. Irma tells me it's swarming with them. It would never do for me
to be in the house if there were a fight."

"Oh, come, you don't really believe that Lupin is coming to-night?"
said the Duke, with a sceptical laugh. "The whole thing is sheer
bluff--he has no more intention of coming tonight to steal that coronet
than--than I have."

"Oh, well, there's no harm in being on the safe side," said Germaine.
"Everybody's agreed that he's a very terrible person. I'll just run up
to my room and get a wrap; Irma has my things all packed. She can come
round tomorrow morning to the Ritz and dress me."

She ran up the stairs, and the Duke went into the drawing-room. He
found Guerchard standing where he had left him, still frowning, still
thinking hard.

"The family are off to the Ritz. It's rather a reflection on your
powers of protecting them, isn't it?" said the Du