TORINO, that's it."

"Torino!" I cried, "Turin! That's a town in Italy, some distance beyond
the French border."

The professor beckoned me to be quiet.

"Kaffar is at Torino, is he?" said the professor.

"That's it--yes."

"What is he doing?"

"Talkin' with a man who keeps an hotel."

"What does he say?"

"It's in a foreign language, and I can't tell."

"Can you repeat what he said?"

"It sounded like this--'_Je restey ici pour kelka jour_;' but I can't
make out what it means."

The professor turned to me.

"He's speaking French. I did not know Kaffar knew French; perhaps he's
learned it lately. The words mean that he will stay there for some
days."

"Can you describe the street in which this hotel is?" continued Von
Virchow.

Simon began to describe, but we could make nothing of it.

"We can't understand," replied the professor. "Can you draw a sketch of
the road to it from the railway station?" and he put a piece of paper
and pencil in Simon's hand.

Without hesitating, Simon drew a sketch, a facsimile of which is given
on the opposite page.

I had been to Turin, and remembered some of the places the sketch
indicated. It might be far from perfect, but it was sufficient for me.
It would be child's play to find Kaffar there.

"That will do," I said to the professor. "I'll start at once. Thank you
so much."

"Ah, that will do, will it?" he said, with a smile. "Then I'll wake up
this man."

Simon woke up as usual, rubbing his eyes, and asked whether any good had
been done.

"Everything's been done," cried I. "Come, professor, allow me to write
you a cheque. How much shall it be?"

"Not a penny until your work is accomplished," replied the little man,
with dignity.

"That is not fair," I said. "I don't know what may happen, and you must
not be defrauded. Anyhow, here's something on account;" and I put a
twenty-pound note in his hand.

He smiled as he looked at it, while I took my hat, and stated my
intention to start for Turin at once.

"Beggin' yer pardon," said Simon, "but this 'ere waccination business
is awfully wearyin', and I should like to--that is--"

"The very thing," I replied, anticipating his request. "You shall go
with me."

Half-an-hour later, we were at Gower Street, making preparations for our
journey to Turin--Simon calm and collected, I feverish and excited.

CHAPTER XVIII

NEARING THE END

There were, as I said, eight days in which to find Kaffar and b