that he had been able, by means best known to Rayne, to obtain
temporary employment at the Elgin Rooms on the night of the banquet.
It was he who had served the table at which had sat the unsuspicious
detective superintendent.

The latter fortunately did not succumb, but he was incapacitated from
duty for over twelve months, during which period the inquiries
regarding the unknown head of the criminal band were dropped, much to
the relief of Rayne and Duperre.

All this, however, was, I saw, preliminary and in preparation for some
great _coup_.

I suppose I had been kicking my heels about Folkestone for perhaps ten
days when, without warning, Rayne and Lola arrived with Tracy and a
quantity of luggage. No doubt the mysterious Dutchman had returned to
the Continent by the fishing-boat in which he had come over to act at
Rayne's orders.

"We are going to the Continent by the morning service the day after
to-morrow, George," Rayne told me. "Tracy leaves to-night. Lola will
go with us as far as Paris, where Duperre will meet us, and we go
south together."

And he produced a batch of tickets, among which I saw coupons for
reserved compartments in the _wagon-lit_.

Afterwards he gave some peculiar instructions to Tracy.

"You'll recollect the map I showed you," he said. "Creches is two
miles south of Macon. At about two kilometres towards Lyons there is a
short bridge over a ravine. That's the spot. The train passes there at
three-eighteen in the morning."

"I follow you exactly," replied his stout, bald-headed accomplice. And
I was left wondering what was intended.

That evening Tracy left us and crossed to Boulogne, while two days
later we went on board the morning cross-Channel steamer, where, to my
surprise, we met Mr. and Mrs. Blumenfeld.

The encounter was a most unexpected and pleasant one. The great
financier and his wife were on their way to the Riviera, and we were
going as far as Cannes.

"I had no idea that you were going south!" laughed Rayne happily as
Lola, warmly dressed in furs, stood on deck chatting with Mrs.
Blumenfeld and watching the boat casting off from the quay. "It will
be most delightful to travel together," he went on. "Lola stays in
Paris and we go on to the Riviera. I suppose you've got your sleeping
berths from Paris to-night?"

"Yes," replied the financier, and then on comparing the numbers on the
coupons the old man discovered that by a coincidence his berth
adjoined the one w