of the three last named had been the
actual perpetrator of the robbery; and by the same token, that Liane
had lied in asserting that Monk and retinue had sailed for America
nearly a week prior to its commission.

That Liane herself had not so suddenly decided to leave France, where
she was after a fashion somebody, and journey to America, where she
would be nobody, except in stress of mortal fear lest the fate that
had befallen de Lorgnes befall her in turn--as would surely have been
the case last night but for Lanyard.

That she must therefore have had a tolerably accurate knowledge either
of Dupont's identity or of the opposition interests which that one so
ably represented; and thus was better informed than poor de Lorgnes, to
whom Dupont had been unknown; which argued that Liane's role in the
intrigue was that of a principal, whereas de Lorgnes had figured only
as a subordinate.

That even if the woman did mean well toward Lanyard she was bound by
stronger ties to others, whom she must consider first, and who were
hardly likely to prove so well disposed; that her protestations of
friendship and gratitude must be valued accordingly.

Summing up, Lanyard told himself he could hardly be said to have let
grass grow under his feet since leaving Chateau de Montalais.

Now he found himself with a solitary care to nurse, the question: What
had her pillow advised Liane Delorme?

He was going to be exceedingly interested to learn what she, in the
maturity of her judgement, had decided to do about this man who
ingenuously suggested that she requite him for saving her life by
helping him recover the Montalais jewels.

On the other hand, since Lanyard had quite decided what he meant to do
about Liane in any event, her decision really didn't matter much; and
he refused to fret himself trying to forecast it. Whatever it might
turn out to be, it would find him prepared, he couldn't be surprised.
There Lanyard was wrong. Liane was amply able to surprise him, and did.
Ultimately he felt constrained to concede a touch to genius in the
woman; her methods were her own and never poor in boldness and
imagination.

It was without ceremony that she walked in on him at length, having
kept him waiting so long that he had begun to wonder if she meant to
try on anything as crude as abandoning him, and posting off to
Cherbourg without a word to seek fancied immunity in New York, while he
remained in an empty house without money, paper