eakfast were already claiming our attention. We sat down in the
coffee-room and attacked our bacon and eggs and coffee with zest.

"How long do you want to stay here?" Dalton asked.

"I am not quite sure," I answered. "Look here, Jacky," I continued,
"supposing I wanted to stay all day and to go back to-night, so that
we got home to breakfast to-morrow morning, would that be too long for
you?"

"That would do me splendidly," Dalton declared. "I have never been in
this part of the world, and I should like to look round. We must be
back for to-morrow morning, you know, because all those fellows are
coming to shoot from Horington's."

I nodded.

"We will make that the latest," I said.

Jacky left me, a few minutes later, to visit the local garage. Without
any clear idea as to what was best to be done, I still felt that I was
justified in making a few inquiries as to the cause of Delora's
presence in Newcastle with that particular companion. I went to the
telephone, therefore, and rang up the County Hotel. I asked to speak
to the manager, who came at once to the instrument.

"I understand," I said, "that the Chinese ambassador has just arrived
at your hotel. Would you be so kind as to ask him whether he would
consent to be interviewed as to the reasons of his visit?"

I waited several minutes for a reply. When it came it was at least
emphatic. The visit of the ambassador, the manager told me, was
entirely a private one. He was simply on a motor tour with a friend,
and they had called at Newcastle as it was an interesting city which
the ambassador had never seen. He declined most firmly to have
anything to do with any interviewer.

The reply being exactly what I had expected, I was not in the least
disappointed.

"Perhaps," I said to the manager, "you can tell me how long he is
staying."

"I have no idea, sir," the manager answered. "They have just ordered a
carriage to make a call in the town."

I thanked him, and left the hotel at once on foot. When I arrived near
the County Hotel a four-wheel cab was drawn up at the entrance. From a
safe distance I stood watching it, and in a few minutes I saw the
ambassador and Delora come swiftly out of the hotel and step inside.
I waited till they had driven off, and then crossed the road to where
the hall-porter was still standing on the pavement. I put five
shillings into his hand.

"I am a reporter," I said. "Can you tell me where the ambassador has
gone to?"

He