"That is true," agreed the Prince. "What of it?"

"The dog attacked a small spaniel, which sought refuge with two ladies,
one of whom picked it up."

"All ancient history, I assure you, Monsieur Tellier. Yet, wait a
moment. Do you happen to know who the ladies were?"

"They are sisters," said Tellier. "Their name is Rushford; their father
is a tall American, who incessantly smokes a cigar and reads a
newspaper in the office of the hotel. If Your Highness wishes, I can
make further inquiries."

"Not at all!" cried the Prince, violently. "I won't countenance such
impertinence! Go on with the story."

Tellier bowed to indicate the most implicit obedience.

"It happened that I was near by," he said, "at the moment of the
encounter. I had taken my stand near a large beach-chair, which, for
reasons, interested me. I was nonchalant, impassive; alert, without
seeming to be so. Many of the women passing I had met upon the
boulevards under circumstances the most peculiar; concerning many of the
men I knew more than they would wish the world to know. Seeing me
standing there, some of them turned pale, others grew red with emotion.
Some went by endeavouring to appear not to have seen me; others threw
me appealing glances. Never, by the quiver of a lash, did I show that I
recognised them. I stood and waited--like the Sphinx."

"For what?" inquired the Prince, whose sense of humour had returned to
him.

"For the denouement, Your Highness. I knew that, sooner or later, it
would come. I knew it could not escape me, Tellier--the evidence of
duplicity which I was seeking."

"But," objected the Prince, "what duplicity can there be? If Lord Vernon
is ill--"

"Your Highness will pardon me for interrupting; but much depends upon
that 'if.' If, on the other hand, the illness is only for the moment
assumed--"

"Oh, nonsense!" cried Markeld. "What reason could he have for assuming
illness? That would be childish!"

The Frenchman smiled a self-satisfied smile, as he softly caressed his
imperial, and his little eyes glowed with anticipated triumph.

"Let us deal with the facts first, if Your Highness will permit, and
with reasons afterwards. I was, then, standing by the chair in the
attitude which I have described, when your dog appeared and attacked the
spaniel. As the young lady stooped and picked it up, your dog sprang
against her, frightening her so that she cried aloud."

"And you stood by without offering to assist her?"