saw him go myself. He looked very shaky and ill, but he was able to
smoke a big cigar and walk down-stairs leaning on the doctor's arm."

"I don't doubt," Kinsley remarked, "but that you saw what you say you
saw. At the same time, you may be surprised to hear that Mr. Dunster has
disappeared again."

"Disappeared again?" Hamel muttered.

"It looks very much," Kinsley continued, "as though your friend Miles
Fentolin has been playing with him like a cat with a mouse. He has
been obliged to turn him out of one hiding-place, and he has simply
transferred him to another."

Hamel looked doubtful.

"Mr. Dunster left quite alone in the car," he said. "He was on his guard
too, for Mr. Fentolin and he had had words. I really can't see how it
was possible for him to have got into any more trouble."

"Where is he, then?" Kinsley demanded. "Come, I will let you a little
further into our confidence. We have reason to believe that he carries
with him a written message which is practically the only chance we have
of avoiding disaster during the next few days. That written message is
addressed to the delegates at The Hague, who are now sitting. Nothing
had been heard of Dunster or the document he carries. No word has come
from him of any sort since he left St. David's Hall."

"Have you tried to trace him from there?" Hamel asked.

"Trace him?" Kinsley repeated. "By heavens, you don't seem to
understand, Dick, the immense, the extraordinary importance of this man
to us! The cleverest detective in England spent yesterday under your
nose at St. David's Hall. There are a dozen others working upon the job
as hard as they can. All the reports confirm what you say--that Dunster
left St. David's Hall at half-past nine yesterday morning, and he
certainly arrived in Yarmouth at a little before twelve. From there he
seems, however, to have completely disappeared. The car went back to
St. David's Hall empty; the man only stayed long enough in Yarmouth, in
fact, to have his dinner. We cannot find a single smack owner who
was approached in any way for the hire of a boat. Yarmouth has been
ransacked in vain. He certainly has not arrived at The Hague or we
should have heard news at once. As a last resource, I ran down here to
see you on the chance of your having picked up any information."

Hamel shook his head.

"You seem to know a good deal more than I do, already," he said.

"What do you think of Mr. Fentolin? You have stayed in his hou