g of an unusual nature was about to
happen. She glanced back, as the servant opened the door in response to
her ring, and was not surprised to see that the vehicle had entered the
grounds, and was rapidly approaching the house.

Her hasty glance showed her that it contained but a single occupant, a
man, and in spite of the distance, she fancied that she detected
something familiar about the poise of his head and shoulders. The
thought was but momentary--she stepped at once into the reception-room
at the right, sat down by the fire, and opening her book, pretended to
be deeply absorbed in its contents. In reality she was observing
narrowly the maid in the hallway, who stood at the open door, waiting to
admit the man who was driving up in the cab.

CHAPTER VIII

When Richard Duvall and Dufrenne arrived at Harwich, on their way from
London, the former requested his companion to turn up his coat collar,
pull his soft hat over his eyes, and put on his spectacles. He feared
that the man they were trying to locate might recognize the curio dealer
as the person who had occupied the chair next to him in Monsieur
Perrier's barber shop earlier in the evening. He also requested the
Frenchman to make his way to the boat alone, keeping a sharp lookout for
the man in the brown overcoat.

Duvall himself joined the straggling crowd of sleepy passengers as they
went aboard the steamer for Antwerp, his eyes searching every passenger
about him for some sight of the one he sought. Once he thought he
recognized the man, a long way off, going up the steamer's gang plank,
but he could not be sure, in the flickering light, that he was right.

He went aboard the boat, in some doubt as to whether, after all, his
course of reasoning might not be incorrect. Here he was bound for the
Continent, on the heels of a man whom he had no real proof was not at
this moment sleeping peacefully in his bed in London.

The situation was a trying one. He lit a cigar and began to pace the
deck nervously, inspecting the few passengers who had elected to remain
outside, before directing his steps to the saloon below.

After some five minutes spent in a useless search, he observed a
familiar figure approaching him from the direction of the companionway,
and at once saw that it was Dufrenne. The latter passed him without any
sign of recognition, but just as their elbows were almost touching, said
in a low voice, "He is below, in the saloon, monsieur. Ha