r look to yourself,
Athenais, as far as Liane is concerned, after to-night. She only needed
to see you with me to have confirmed any suspicions she may previously
have had concerning your relations with the B. S. S."

"I will remember that," the girl said calmly. "Many thanks, dear
friend.... But what is it you are doing all the time? What is it you
see?"

As the hansom swung round the dark pile of the Trinite, Lanyard had for
the third time twisted round in his seat, to peep back up the rue
Pigalle through the little window in the rear.

"As I thought!" He let the leather flap fall over the peep-hole and sat
back. "Liane doesn't trust me," he sighed, disconsolate.

"We are followed?"

"By a motor-car of some sort, creeping along without lights, probably
one of the private cars that were waiting when we came out."

"I have a pistol, if you need one," Athenais offered, matter-of-fact.

"Then you were more sensible than I."

Lanyard held a thoughtful silence for some minutes, while the cab
jogged sedately down the rue St. Lazare, then had another look back
through the little window.

"No mistake about that," he reported; and bending forward began to peer
intently right and left into the dark throats of several minor streets
they passed after leaving the Hotel Terminus behind and heading down
the rue de la Pepiniere. "The deuce of it is," he complained, "this
inhuman loneliness! If there were only something like a crowd in the
streets as there must have been earlier in the evening..."

"What are you thinking of, monsieur?"

"But naturally of ridding you of an embarrassing and perhaps dangerous
companion."

"If you mean you're planning to jump down and run for it," Athenais
replied, "you're a fool. You'll not get far with a motor car pursuing
you and sergents de ville abnormally on the qui vive because the crime
wave that followed demobilisation as yet shows no signs of subsiding."

"But, mademoiselle, it makes me so unhappy to have any shadow but my
own."

"Then rest tranquil here with me. It isn't much farther to my
apartment."

"Possibly it would be better to drop you there first--"

"Nothing of the sort; but positively the contrary."

"My dear child! if I were to do as you wish they would think--"

"My dear Paul, I don't give a damn what they think. Remember I am
specially charged with the preservation of your life while in Paris.
Besides, my apartment is the most discreet little rez-de-chaussee o