self been absent for a week," she added, "on
affairs of business. He was not certain that he would return, but he
paid us to the fifteenth."

I nodded. "Yes: to-morrow--I will take possession then."

"Very well, monsieur," she assented; "I will have it in readiness."

For an instant, I hesitated. Should I use the photograph? Was it
necessary? How explain my possession of it? Did I not already know
all that Madame Jourdain could tell me? I turned to the stair.

"Then I must be going," I said; "I have some business affairs to
arrange," and we went down together.

The place was filling with a motley crowd of diners, but I paused only
to exchange a nod with Monsieur Jourdain, and then hurried away. The
fugitives had taken the French line, of course, and I hastened on to
the foot of Morton Street, where the French line pier is. A ship was
being loaded for the voyage out, and the pier was still open. A clerk
directed me to the sailing schedule, and a glance at it confirmed my
guess. At ten o'clock on the morning of Thursday, April 3d, _La
Savoie_ had sailed for Havre.

"May I see _La Savoie's_ passenger list?" I asked.

"Certainly, sir," and he produced it.

I did not, of course, expect to find Miss Holladay entered upon it,
yet I felt that a study of it might be repaid; and I was not
mistaken. A Mrs. G. R. Folsom and two daughters had occupied the
_cabine de luxe_, 436, 438, 440; on the company's list, which had been
given me, I saw bracketed after the name of the youngest daughter the
single word "invalide."

"_La Lorraine_ sails day after to-morrow, I believe?" I asked.

"Yes, sir."

"And is she full?"

"No, sir; it is a little early in the season yet," and he got down the
list of staterooms, showing me which were vacant. I selected an
outside double one, and deposited half the fare, in order to reserve
it.

There was nothing more to be done that night, for a glance at my watch
showed me the lateness of the hour. As I emerged from the pier, I
suddenly found myself very weary and very hungry, so I called a cab
and was driven direct to my rooms. A bath and dinner set me up again,
and finally I settled down with my pipe to arrange the events of the
day.

Certainly I had progressed. I had undoubtedly got on the track of the
fugitives; I had found out all that I could reasonably have hoped to
find out. And yet my exultation was short-lived. Admitted that I was
on their track, how much nearer success had I got