tter made no answer to the man's declaration, but quietly waited
for a further explanation, and the stranger said:

"Your name is Wagner, or at least, you are known as August Wagner?"

"That is true."

"You claim to be a German baron?"

"That is not true."

"It is not true?"

"It is not true," repeated the young man.

"Then I have been misinformed?"

"Probably not."

"What do you mean?"

"I do not claim to be a baron, but I am next heir to a barony; at
present an elder brother is the baron."

"Then you are not a fraud?"

"It would be dangerous for any one to intimate that I have at any time
made a _false_ claim."

Jack was delighted at the turn the affair had taken. Another was
eliciting facts that our hero most desired to have made clear.

"You were at the opera this evening?"

"I was."

"There was a party in Box C?"

"Yes, sir."

Jack observed that there came a glitter to the young man's eyes, and a
slight color to his cheeks as he answered:

"I was."

"The parties in that box were the Richards family?"

"Yes, but I do not know how the fact concerns either you or me."

"It may concern you, my young friend. What do you know about the
Richards family?"

"Nothing save in a social way, sir."

"That is all?"

"It is."

"Then permit me to advise you to drop all social intercourse with them
if you wish to avoid future trouble; that is all, sir."

The stranger, having spoken in the strange manner related, rose and
without another word departed, and there followed a few moments'
silence, broken at length by our hero, who said:

"So that was the Richards family who occupied the box in the theater
this evening?"

"Yes."

"They are friends of yours?"

Wagner made no answer, but asked:

"Do you know them?"

"I have heard about them."

"I met them in Paris; I know nothing about their social standing. I have
found them very pleasant people and I do not understand the hints of
that man, nor why he should address me. He appeared to know my name, and
was otherwise well posted, as it appears, concerning my acquaintance
with those people. Who can the man be?"

"He is probably a detective."

"A detective?"

"Yes."

Young Wagner became thoughtful for quite an interval, and then in a
musing tone said:

"I do not understand it."

"Let me see," said Jack; "it strikes me that this Richards family is the
same family from whose home a young lady disappeared a week or so ago.
Possibly th