estion, we had
gone there and had stayed under assumed names at the Hotel du Palais,
that handsome place standing high upon the rocks with such charming
views of the rocky headland of St. Martin and the dozen grey-green
islets.

We both lived expensively and enjoyed ourselves at the Casino and
elsewhere, but the object of our visit was quite obscure. I knew,
however, that Duperre was prospecting new ground, but in what
direction I failed to discover. One day we returned to London quite
suddenly, but he refused to disclose anything concerning the object
of our visit, which, after all, had been for me quite an enjoyable
holiday.

About a week after our return Rayne called me into the morning-room.
The keen grey-eyed middle-aged man was smoking a cigar and with him
was Madame, whose cleverness as a crook was only equalled by that of
her husband.

"Well, Hargreave!" exclaimed Rayne. "I hope you had a nice time at
Biarritz, eh? Well, I want you to go on a further little holiday down
to Eastbourne. Drive the Rolls down to the Grand Hotel there and stay
as a gentleman of leisure."

"I'm always that nowadays," I laughed.

"Stay there under the name of George Cottingham," he went on, "and
spend rather freely, so as to give yourself a good appearance. You
understand?"

"No, I don't understand," I said. "At least, I don't understand what
game is to be played."

"You needn't, George," was his short reply. "You are paid not to
understand, and to keep your mouth shut. So please recollect that. Now
at the hotel," he went on, "there is staying Lady Lydbrook, wife of
the great Sheffield ironmaster. I want you to scrape up acquaintance
with her."

"Why?" I asked.

"For reasons best known to myself," he snapped. "It's nice weather
just now, and you ought to enjoy yourself at Eastbourne. It's a smart
place for an English resort, and there's lots going on there. They
will think you such a nice sociable young man. Besides, you will
spend money and make pretense of being rich. And let me give you a
valuable tip. On the first evening you arrive at the hotel call the
valet, give him a pound note and tell him to go out and buy a pound
bottle of eau-de-Cologne to put in your bath. There's nothing that
gets round an hotel so quickly as wanton extravagance like that. The
guests hear of it through the servants, and everyone is impressed by
your wealth."

I laughed. Only a man with such a brain as Rudolph Rayne could have
thought of