is it?" he asked.

"What is it? It is four hundred and fifty napoleons!"

"What?" sharply, even doubtfully.

"That's what! Eighteen hundred dollars, more than three hundred and
sixty pounds, nearly a million centesimi, and Heaven only knows what it
would be in Portuguese. My system will have no funeral to-night. Pretty
fair returns for two hours' work, by George! Now, come on."

He caught Millard by the sleeve and fairly ran him over to the cafe.
Here lie pushed him into a chair and ordered the finest vintage he could
find on the card. Then he offered one of the fatal cigars and lighted
one for himself.

"Nearly two thousand!" murmured Hillard. "Well, of all the luck!"

"It does seem too good to be true. And what's more, I'm going to hang on
to it. No more for me; I'm through. For the first time in my life I've
won something, and I am going to keep it.... I say, what's the matter
with your cravat?"

Hillard looked down at the fluttering end and reknotted it carelessly.

"I saw Kitty to-night," he said.

To Merrihew it seemed that all the clatter about him had died away
suddenly. He lowered his cigar and breathed deeply. "Where is she?" He
rose. "Sit down. I don't know where she is. I'll explain what has
happened. And this is it."

Merrihew listened eagerly, twisting his cigar from one corner of his
mouth to the other. Once he made a gesture; it was reproachful.

"And why did you bother about him? Why didn't you hold on to Kitty?"

"I confess it was stupid of me. But the gentleman with the scar was an
unknown quantity. Besides, why should Kitty, in an episode like this,
run away from me, of all persons? That's what is troubling me. And why,
when I spoke to them in the Casino, did they ignore me completely?"

"It's your confounded prima donna; she's at the bottom of all this, take
my word for it. Something's desperately wrong. Persons do not wear masks
and hide in this manner just for a lark. And we have lost them again!
Why didn't you knock him down?" hotly.

"I wanted to, but it wasn't the psychological moment. He recovered
himself too quickly. You can't knock a man down when he practically
surrenders."

"You're too particular. But what's the matter with Kitty? I don't
understand. To see you was to know that I was round somewhere. She ran
away from me as well as from you. What shall we do?"

"Start the hunt again, or give it up entirely. There are some villages
between here and Nice. It must be in tha