t of diamonds and emeralds.

Twice had Le Pontois taken furtive glances at the stranger whose lined
brow was so extraordinarily familiar. It was the face of a deep thinker,
a man who had, perhaps, passed through much trouble. Was it possible, he
wondered, that he had seen that striking face in some photograph, or
perhaps in some illustrated paper? He had racked his brain through the
whole performance, but could not decide in what circumstances they had
previously met.

From time to time the stranger had joined with the audience in their
hearty laughter, or applauded as vociferously as the others, his
companion being equally amused at the quaint sayings of the demure "Mees
Smeeth."

And even as he stood in the shadows near the general's car awaiting Enid
he was still wondering who the pair might be.

At the fall of the curtain he had made several inquiries of the
officers, but nobody could give him any information. They were complete
strangers--that was all. Even a search among the cards of invitation had
revealed nothing.

So Paul Le Pontois remained mystified.

Enid came at last, flushed with success and apologetic because she had
kept him waiting. But he only congratulated her, and assisted her into
the car. It was a big open one, therefore she wore a thick motor coat and
veil as protection against the chill autumn night.

A moment later the soldier-chauffeur mounted to his seat, and slowly they
moved across the great square and out by the gates, where the sentries
saluted. Then, turning to the right, they were quickly tearing along the
highway in the darkness.

Soon they overtook several closed carriages of the home-going visitors,
and, ascending the hill, turned from the main road down into a by-road
leading through a wooded valley, which was a short cut to the chateau.

Part of their way led through the great Foret d'Amblonville, and though
Enid's gay chatter was mostly of the play, the defects in the acting and
the several amusing _contretemps_ which had occurred behind the scenes,
her companion's thoughts were constantly of that stranger whose brow was
so deeply lined with care.

They expected to overtake Sir Hugh in the brougham, but so long had Enid
been changing her gown that they saw nothing of the others.

Just, however, as they were within a hundred yards or so of the gates
which gave entrance to the chateau, and were slowing down in order to
swing into the drive, a man emerged from the darknes