!
That kind gentleman, absorbed only in his invention--"

"I _do_ say so," broke in Lepine, savagely. "Did he receive any
letters?"

"One, sir, on the Saturday before the arrival of the telegram. No doubt
it, too, spoke of the illness of his sister."

Lepine put his hand wearily to his head.

"At least you noticed the address on the letter?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, sir. It was 'Monsieur B. Seguin, 80 Rue du Plasson, Toulon.'
Seguin, that was the name of my lodger."

"But you said he was not a Frenchman!"

"Perhaps he was a Belgian, sir. I have heard that they are sometimes
dark."

Lepine threw up his hands.

"Head of a pig!" he cried, and then controlled himself. "M. Pigot," he
said, "you will take this idiot to his rooms and remain in charge of him
until you hear from me."

And then, as Pigot and his prisoner started down the stairs, Lepine
turned to an investigation of the two rooms. Every nook, every crevice,
every inch of the floor, every drawer--all these he examined with a
minuteness of which only the French police are capable, but his search
disclosed nothing which shed any new light on the mystery. At last, he
descended the stairs and left the house.

There was still one hope, the telegram. He hastened to the post-office,
inquired for the clerk of telegraphs, apologised for again disturbing
him, and asked to see the telegram received for B. Seguin, 80 Rue du
Plasson, the Sunday before. At the end of five minutes it was in his
hands, and he read it with dismay. It had been sent from Brussels, and
this is the English of its contents:

"Our sister is very ill and asks for you. Come if you would
see her alive.

"CHARLES SEGUIN."

CHAPTER IX

CHECKMATE

"It is evident that this affair was not lightly arranged," said M.
Delcasse, and ran his fingers nervously through his hair.

Lepine nodded gloomily.

"You may well say so!" he agreed.

The two sat together in Delcasse's room, and Lepine had just finished
his report. Evening was falling, and the room was growing dark, but
neither desired a light.

"Everything has been thought of and provided for," said the Prefect, at
last, "even to the telegram which gave an excuse for this man's abrupt
departure. Perhaps the other telegrams were also intended to mislead
us--just as they did mislead me--to convince us that those other men
were only ordinary travellers. They must have foreseen that the police
would investigate the pr