. "You have been most
obliging. The information you have given me will be of the very greatest
service."

And with that he took his leave, returned light-heartedly to his office
and sent a wireless to the captain of the _Ottilie_. The fugitive could
not escape him now; it was merely a question of arresting him as he left
the boat at New York; soon, soon, Lepine would have the pleasure of
putting him on the grill, and, once there, the detective felt sure that
there would be some important revelations before he got off again. One
fact surprised him--that Vard should be an American citizen; but perhaps
that was not the truth. If it was the truth, it would make the arrest at
New York a little awkward; a formal complaint would have to be made, a
charge of some kind trumped up. But there was no hurry--a week remained
in which to mature the plans.

So Lepine, after sending a brief report in cipher to M. Delcasse, turned
to the work which had accumulated during his absence in a happier and
more contented frame of mind than he had enjoyed for some days.

"I shall relish my lunch to-day!" he reflected; but, alas! it was just
as he was preparing to sally forth for it that the blow fell.

"A message for you, sir," his secretary said, and handed him a
light-blue envelope.

"Ah!" said Lepine, "a wireless!" and he ripped it open eagerly. Then he
remained staring at it with astounded eyes. Here is the message:

"PRINZSESSIN OTTILIE, September 28, 11:10 A. M.
_Radio via Cherbourg._

"_Lepine, Paris._

"No record of Ignace Vard and daughter on _Ottilie_.
Stateroom 514 unoccupied.

"HAUSMANN, Captain."

CHAPTER X

THE LAND OF FREEDOM

The old town of Cherbourg was experiencing its semi-weekly apotheosis.
For five days of the seven a duller place would be difficult to find,
but on Wednesdays and Saturdays, when the great trans-Atlantic liners
were due to pause in the outer harbour and take aboard the multitudes
homeward-bound to America, the town was transfigured. The
transfiguration, indeed, began on the previous evenings, for it was then
that the less-knowing and more timid of the tourists began to arrive.

The knowing ones, having once tasted the Lethe of Cherbourg, remained in
Paris until the last minute, and stepped from the boat-train to the
waiting tender. But the less well-informed came on the day before--and
never, for the remainder of their lives, forgot the dulness of