ve got it, little
girl. That's what has set me thinking. What are your ideas about the
people who come to see him? You know the looks of people pretty well by
this time. You have a good eye for them. How do you figure them up?'

The girl reflected.

'Well, I should say foreign refugees generally, and explorers, and all
that kind; Mr. Hiram Borringer comes with his South Pole expeditions,
and I see men who were in Africa with Stanley--and all that kind of
thing.'

'Yes, but some of that may be a blind, don't you know. Have you ever,
tell me, in all your recollection, seen a downright, unmistakable, solid
City man go into Captain Sarrasin's room?'

'No, no,' said the girl, after a moment's thought; 'I can't quite say
that I have. But I don't see what that matters to us. There are good
people, I suppose, who don't come from the City?'

'I don't like it, somehow,' Paulo said. 'I have been thinking it
over--and I tell you I don't like it!'

'What I can't make out,' the girl said, not impatiently but very gently,
'is what you don't like in the matter. Is there anything wrong with this
Captain Sarrasin? He seems an old dear.'

'This is how it strikes me. He never came to this house until after his
Excellency the Dictator made up his mind to settle here.'

'Oh!' Dolores started and turned pale. 'Tell me what you mean, dear--you
frighten one.'

Paulo smiled.

'You are not over-easily frightened,' he said, 'and so I'll tell you all
my suspicions.'

'Suspicions?' she said, with a drawing in of the breath that seemed as
emphatic as a shudder. 'What is there to suspect?'

'Well, there is nothing more than suspicion at present. But here it is.
I have it on the best authority that this Captain Sarrasin was out in
Gloria. Now, he never told _me_ that.'

'No? Well, go on.'

'He came back here to England long before his Excellency came, but he
never took a room in this house until his Excellency had made up his
mind to settle down here for all his time with Mr. Hamilton. Now, what
do you think his settling down here, and not taking a house, like
General Boulanger--what do you think his staying on here means?'

'I suppose,' the girl said, slowly, 'it means that he has not given up
the idea of recovering his position in Gloria.' She spoke in a low tone,
and with eyes that sparkled.

'Right you are, girl. Of course, that's what it does mean. Mr. Hamilton
as good as told me himself; but I didn't want him to tell me. Now,