a word, afterwards
hurrying on.

"Our interesting friend has not been here yet," the detective remarked to
me. "We will have a talk with the clerk at the Poste Restante."

Entering the great hall, busy as it is all day, we approached the window
where letters were distributed from A to L, and where sat the same
pleasant, fair-haired man sorting letters.

"Bon jour, m'sieur!" he exclaimed, when he caught sight of Fremy. "What
weather, eh?"

The great detective returned his greetings, and then putting his head
further into the window so that others should not overhear, said in
French:

"I am looking for an individual, an Englishman, name of Bryant, and am
keeping watch outside. He is wanted in England for a serious offence. Has
he been here?"

"Bryant?" repeated the clerk thoughtfully.

"Yes," said Fremy, and then I spelt the name slowly.

The clerk reached his hand to the pigeon-hole wherein were letters for
callers whose names began with B, and placing them against a little block
of black wood on the counter before him, looked eagerly through while we
watched intently.

Once or twice he stopped to scrutinise an address, but his fingers went
on again through the letters to the end.

"Nothing," he remarked laconically, replacing the packet in the
pigeon-hole. "But there has been correspondence for him. I recollect--a
thin-faced man, with grey hair and clean shaven. Yes. I remember him
distinctly. He always called just before the office was closed."

"When did he call last?" asked Fremy quickly.

"The night before last, I think," was the man's answer. "A lady was with
him--a rather stout English lady."

We both started.

"Did the lady ask for any letters?"

"Yes. But I forget the name."

"Petre is her right name," I interrupted. Then I suggested to Fremy:
"Ask the other clerk to look through the letter 'P.'"

"Non, m'sieur!" exclaimed the fair-haired employee. "The name she asked
for was in my division. It was not P."

"Then she must have asked for a name that was not her own," I said.

"And it seems very much as though we have lost the gang by a few hours,"
Fremy said disappointedly. "My own opinion is that they left Brussels by
the Orient Express last night. They did not call at the usual time
yesterday."

"They may come this evening," I suggested.

"Certainly they may. We shall, of course, watch," he replied.

"When the man and woman called the day before yesterday," continued the
employee,