ad applied to the proprietor
of an important hotel as one most likely to further the quest, he
responded with prompt civility.

"There are several lawyers guests in the hotel at this moment, my
lord," he said. "Each is a notable man in one branch of practice or
another. May I ask if you want advice in a matter of real estate, or
some commercial claim, or a criminal charge?"

"The latter, in a sense," said the Earl. "A relative of mine has
contracted a marriage under conditions which are illegal, or, at any
rate, most irregular."

The clerk stroked his chin.

"Mr. Otto Schmidt has just concluded a remarkable nullity of marriage
suit," he pondered.

"Just the man for my purpose. Is he in?"

Within five minutes the Earl was closeted with Mr. Otto Schmidt in the
latter's private sitting-room. The lawyer was a short man, who bore a
remarkable physical resemblance to an egg. Head, rotund body, and
immensely fat legs tapering to very small feet, formed a complete oval,
while his ivory-tinted skin, and a curious crease running round
forehead and ears beneath a scalp wholly devoid of hair, suggested that
the egg had been boiled, and the top cut off and replaced.

But he showed presently that the ovum was sound in quality. He
listened in absolute silence until his lordship had told his story.
All things considered, the recital was essentially true.

There were suppressions of fact, such as the lack of any mention of
collusion between the distraught father and Count Ladislas Vassilan on
the one hand and Jean de Courtois on the other, and there were wholly
unwarrantable imputations against Curtis's character and attributes,
but, on the whole, Mr. Schmidt was able, in his own phrase, "to size up
the position" with fair accuracy.

Like every other man of common sense who became acquainted with the
night's doings in a connected narrative, he began by expressing his
astonishment.

"I have had some singular cases to handle during a long and varied
professional career," he said, and eyelids almost devoid of lashes
dropped for an instant over a pair of dark and curiously piercing eyes,
"but I have never heard of anything quite like this. You say the name
of the detective who gave you the account of the murder, and of the
connection of this John Delancy Curtis with it, is Steingall?"

"Yes."

Again the eyelids fell, and, as Mr. Schmidt's face was also devoid of
eyebrows, and was colorless in its pallor, and as his l