eated at a table
engaged in earnest conversation, and he heard the club member say:

"I still insist that you have made a mistake."

"How?"

"In the crowd you lost your man and have trailed the wrong man."

"I am certain he is the same man."

"But I know the man."

"Who is he?"

"I asked his name a few days ago. His name is Woodford Dunne. He is not
an officer--a bank clerk, I think, or possibly a traveling salesman. One
thing is certain: he was not trailing your man, not trailing any one."

The man who had asked "Who is he?" was thoughtful a moment and then
said:

"Our danger may be greater than you imagine."

"Nonsense!"

"I say yes."

"How?"

"Are you dead certain that man Woodford Dunne is not in this club to
shadow _you_?"

The man addressed turned pale--very pale.

"How long have you known him as a member?"

"I am certain he has been a member for a number of months."

"It's all very strange. I tell you we have made no mistake. That man was
listening at the door of Wadleigh, and it is Mrs. Wadleigh that we
expect to employ. He came from Wadleigh's rooms, where he had been
peeping, to this clubhouse."

The men were talking in very low tones. Oscar had sneaked in and had not
been observed by them, so intensely were they engrossed in their talk.
He had dropped into a seat near them and had picked up a paper.

"How do you know he was listening at Wadleigh's keyhole?"

"You know our orders. Having agreed to employ Mrs. Wadleigh, the
governor gave us orders to shadow Wadleigh. We have been on his track. I
was going to take a peep and a listen, and silently ascended the stairs
when I saw I had been anticipated. I slipped back to the street and we
lay around. That man who you say is Dunne came from the house and we
followed him here."

"He may have come from some other part of the house."

"I would like to think so, but I know better. He lay around after he
left the house for Wadleigh to come forth, but we managed to give
Wadleigh a tip and he stayed in his rooms. There is no mistake; the man
Woodford Dunne was the man we saw dodging at Wadleigh's keyhole. What
his real lay was I don't know, and we might assume it was an off play
but for the fact that he came here. _You_ are here. Is he not on your
shadow? That's what I want to know."

"This is very serious."

"Yes, it is."

"We must go into this man Dunne."

"We must."

"And if your suspicions are correct the flag of the clubhouse mus