aid, speaking slowly, but with
only the faintest accent, and he smiled around at the faces bent upon
him. "You will pardon me for keeping you in waiting, but I had some
matters of the first importance to attend to; and also my bag to
pack. Steward," he added, "you will find my bag outside my door.
Please bring it here, so that I may be ready to go ashore at once."
The steward hurried away, and M. Pigot turned back to us. "Now,
gentlemen," he went on, "what is it that I can do for you?"

It was to Godfrey that the position of spokesman naturally fell.

"We wish first to welcome you to America, M. Pigot," he said, "and to
hope that you will have a pleasant and interesting stay in our
country."

"You are most kind," responded the Frenchman, with a charming smile.
"I am sure that I shall find it most interesting--especially your
wonderful city, of which I have heard many marvellous things."

"And in the next place," continued Godfrey, "we hope that, with your
assistance, our police may be able to solve the mystery surrounding
the death of the three men recently killed here, and to arrest the
murderer. Of themselves, they seem to be able to do nothing."

M. Pigot spread out his hands with a little deprecating gesture.

"I also hope we may be successful," he said; "but if your police have
not been, my poor help will be of little account. I have a profound
admiration for your police; the results which they accomplish are
wonderful, when one considers the difficulties under which they
labour."

He spoke with an accent so sincere that I was almost convinced he
meant every word of it; but Godfrey only smiled.

"It is a proverb," he said, "that the French police are the best in
the world. You, no doubt, have a theory in regard to the death of
these men?"

"I fear it is impossible, sir," said M. Pigot, regretfully, "to
answer that question at present, or to discuss this case with you. I
have my report first to make to the chief of your detective bureau.
To-morrow I shall be most happy to tell you all that I can. But for
to-night my lips are closed, sad as it makes me to seem
discourteous."

I could hear behind me the little indrawn breath of disappointment at
the failure of the direct attack. M. Pigot's position was, of course,
absolutely correct; but nevertheless Godfrey prepared to attack it on
the flank.

"You are going ashore to-night?" he inquired.

"I was expecting a representative of your bureau to meet me he