the Prefect's office, whom
Dufrenne had met earlier in the day. He bowed to Duvall, who knew him
slightly, then glanced at the sleeping figure on the bed. "You have been
successful, monsieur?" he inquired eagerly.

Duvall nodded. "This fellow"--he indicated Seltz--"must be taken to
London as soon as he is in condition to travel. We will leave the matter
to you."

"Excellent, monsieur. He shall be well taken care of. I presume that you
and Monsieur Dufrenne will start at once."

"I desire first, Monsieur Lablanche, to get my wife from the house of
Dr. Hartmann."

Lablanche gave a low whistle. "I should not advise you to attempt to
communicate with her, monsieur."

"You think her sudden departure would make Hartmann suspicious?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Then we must arrange for her to come to Brussels this afternoon on some
pretext. If she only had some friends in the city--"

"The American Minister, monsieur!" exclaimed Lablanche, suddenly. "He
recommended her to Dr. Hartmann. It appears that he was at one time
acquainted with your wife's people. Perhaps he would undertake to
telephone to her. That would be entirely safe. But I beg of you,
monsieur, do not let the Minister know what your wife's object in going
to Dr. Hartmann's was. He knows her only as Miss Ellicott. He vouched
for her to Hartmann. If he knew that he had been used, it would make him
extremely angry."

For a few moments Duvall stood in silent thought, then picking up his
hat, went toward the door. "I will see the American Minister at once,"
he said, as he went out. "Wait for me here, gentlemen. I will be back
within an hour."

Mr. Phelps, the United States Minister, was busy in his cabinet when
Duvall was announced. He took the card from his secretary and glanced at
it carelessly. The detective's name caused him to start. "Richard
Duvall," he said aloud, to his secretary. "Surely it can't be the
well-known detective, yet the name--" He regarded the card, his forehead
wrinkled with thought. Duvall's distinguished position as the author of
several works on the science of criminology was well known to him. "Show
him in," he said, at length, and began to relight his cigar.

Duvall was ushered in, and in a few moments had explained the object of
his visit. "A young lady--a Miss Ellicott," he told the Minister, "had
come to Brussels the night before, and had gone to Dr. Hartmann's as a
patient." Mr. Phelps nodded, and added that he had met Miss Ellicot