them with much more than ordinary interest,
for he recognised all five as clearly as though he had just left them in
his own dining-room.

"There are no suspicions attaching to any of these people, I suppose?"
he said carelessly.

"My dear Professor," replied Nicol Hendry a little coldly, "those who
write stories about our profession always say that it is our invariable
rule to suspect everybody, but we have a little common-sense, and we
know the records of these ladies and gentlemen in the minutest detail
from the Prince himself to Frauelein Hulda. We have not the slightest
reason to suspect any of them."

"Ah, just so," said the other musingly; "no, of course you wouldn't
have, and, unfortunately, I cannot tell you why you should. But I'll
tell you this: if you ever do find cause to suspect any of these
persons, you will find that this group is not complete. It ought to
contain the photograph of Prince Oscar Oscarovitch."

"Prince Oscar Oscarovitch!" exclaimed Nicol Hendry, staring at him this
time with wide-open eyes. "Why on earth should you----"

"Pardon me, my dear sir," interrupted Franklin Marmion gently, "remember
that you are not supposed to care anything about the why or the how. I
have already explained that I cannot explain."

"A thousand pardons, Professor. I don't often forget myself, but I did
then. You took me so utterly by surprise."

"I fancy that you will be a good deal more surprised before you have
come to the end of this affair," was the smiling but almost exasperating
reply; "but, as I implied, I can only give you clues. I cannot even
tell you how I get them, and it is for you to follow them or not as your
judgment dictates. Now, here are one or two to go on with. Try and find
out whether or not there was a four-funnelled Russian destroyer anywhere
in the neighbourhood of Trelitz on the night of the 6th. Trace as
closely as you can the movements of Prince Oscarovitch on that and the
two preceding days. Try and find out whether or not a large closed
chariot something like a barouche, drawn by four black horses, went from
anywhere in the direction of the Castle on that day. And lastly, keep a
very close eye upon the Egyptian Adept, as he calls himself--his name is
Phadrig Amena--who worked those alleged miracles at my daughter's
garden-party the other day. The Prince practically invited himself, and
brought this fellow with him. If you can find out the true relationship
between them I think