must be somebody who knows something of him. We must--you must--make more
inquiry--there at the hotel. Talk quietly to that manager or the servants.
Get a description of him. Do that at once--first thing tomorrow morning."

"You don't want to tell the police all this?" asked Selwood.

"No! Not at present, at any rate," answered the Professor. "The police
have their own methods, and they don't thank anybody for putting them
off their beaten tracks. And--for the present--we won't tell them
anything about your seeing Burchill. If we did, they'd be incredulous.
Police-like, they'll have watched the various seaports much more closely
than they'll have watched London streets for Burchill. And Burchill's a
clever devil--he'll know that he's much safer under the very nose of the
people who want him than he would be fifty miles away from their toes!
No, it's my opinion that Master Burchill will reveal himself, when the
time comes."

"Give himself up, do you mean?" exclaimed Selwood.

"Likely--but if he does, it'll be done with a purpose," answered the
Professor. "Well--keep all quiet at present, and tomorrow morning, go
and see if you can find out more about Dimambro at that hotel."

Selwood repaired to the polite manager again next day and found no
difficulty in getting whatever information the hotel staff--represented
by a manageress, a general man-servant, and a maid or two--could give.
It was meagre, and not too exact in particulars. Mr. Dimambro, who had
never been there before, had stopped two days. He had occupied Room
5--the gentleman could see it if he wished. Mr. Dimambro had been in and
out most of the time. On the 13th he had gone out early in the morning;
by ten o'clock he had returned, paid his bill, and gone away with his
luggage--one suit-case. No--he had had no callers at the hotel. But a
waiter in the restaurant was discovered who remembered him as Number 5,
and that on the 12th he had entertained a gentleman to dinner at seven
o'clock--a tall, thin, dark-faced gentleman, who looked like--yes, like
an actor: a nicely dressed gentleman. That was all the waiter could
remember of the guest; he remembered just about as much of Number 5,
which was that Dimambro was a shortish, stoutish gentleman, with a
slight black beard and moustache. There was a good reason why the
waiter remembered this occurrence--the two gentlemen had a bottle of the
best champagne, a rare occurrence at the Hotel Ravenna--a whole bottle,