nsulted a yachting list in the hall--and had then travelled to the Isle
of Wight. There, he had made inquiries at the Squadron Yacht Club, and
the Victoria Yacht Club--and had returned to London, and the railway
hotel.

The third telegram announced the utter destruction of all our hopes. As
far as Marseilles, the Cur had been followed successfully, and in that
city the detective officers had lost sight of him.

My legal adviser insisted on having the men sent to him to explain
themselves. Nothing came of it but one more repetition of an old
discovery. When the detective police force encounters intelligence
instead of stupidity, in seven cases out of ten the detective police
force is beaten.

There were still two persons at our disposal. Lady Rachel might help us,
as I believed, if she chose to do it. As for old Toller, I suggested (on
reflection) that the lawyer should examine him. The lawyer declined to
waste any more of my money. I called again on Lady Rachel. This time, I
was let in. I found the noble lady smoking a cigarette and reading a
French novel.

"This is going to be a disagreeable interview," she said. "Let us get it
over, Mr. Roylake, as soon as possible. Tell me what you want--and speak
as freely as if you were in the company of a man."

I obeyed her to the letter; and I got these replies:

"Yes; I did have a talk, in your best interests, with Miss Toller. She is
as sensible as she is charming, and as good as she is sensible. We
entirely agreed that the sacrifice must be on her side; and that it was
due to her own self-respect to prevent a gentleman of your rank from
ruining himself by marrying a miller's daughter."

The next reply was equally free from the smallest atom of sympathy on
Lady Rachel's part.

"You are quite right--your deaf man was at his window when I went by. We
recognized each other and had a long talk. If I remember correctly, he
said you knew of his reasons for concealing his name. I gave my promise
(being a matter of perfect indifference to me) to conceal it too. One
thing led to another, and I discovered that you were his hated rival in
the affections of Miss Toller. I proved worthy of his confidence in me.
That is to say, I told him that Mrs. Roylake and I would be only too
glad, as representing your interests, if he succeeded in winning the
young lady. I asked if he had any plans. He said one of his plans had
failed. What it was, and how it had failed, he did not mention. I