she asked how he had fared in
his interview with Count Ferruci.

"Has that man been arrested, Mr. Denzil?"

"No, Miss Vrain. I regret to say that he has not been arrested. To speak
plainly, he has, so far as I can see, proved himself innocent."

"Innocent! And the evidence against him?"

"Is utterly useless. I brought him face to face with the woman who sold
the cloak, and she denies that Ferruci bought it."

"But she said the buyer was an Italian."

"She did, and dark, with a moustache. All the same, she did not
recognise the Count. She says the buyer was not so tall, and spoke worse
English."

"Ferruci could make his English bad if he liked."

"Probably; but he could not make his stature shorter. No, Miss Vrain, I
am afraid that our Italian friend, in spite of the evidence against him,
did not buy the cloak. That he resembles the purchaser in looks and
nationality is either a coincidence or----"

"Or what?" seeing that Lucian hesitated.

"Or design," finished the barrister. "And, indeed, the Count himself is
of this opinion. He believes that some one who wished to get him into
trouble personated him."

"Has he any suspicions as to whom the person may be?"

"He says not, and I believe him; for if he did suspect any particular
individual he certainly would gain nothing by concealment of the fact."

"H'm!" said Diana thoughtfully, "so that denial of the saleswoman
disposes of the cloak's evidence. What about the Count's presence in
Jersey Street on Christmas Eve?"

"He was not there!"

"But Rhoda, the servant, saw him both in the house and in the back
yard!"

"She saw a dark man, with a moustache, but she could not say that he was
a foreigner. She does not know Ferruci, remember. The man she saw must
have been the same as the purchaser of the cloak."

"Where does Ferruci say he was?"

"At Hampstead, visiting a friend."

"Oh! And what does the friend say?"

"He declares that the Count was with him on Christmas Eve and stayed all
night."

"That is very convenient evidence for the Count, Mr. Denzil. Who is this
accommodating friend?"

"A doctor called Jorce."

"Can his word be trusted?"

"So far as I can judge from his looks and a short acquaintance, I should
say so."

"It was half-past eight when the servant saw the dark man run out of
the yard?"

"Yes!"

"And at half-past eight Ferruci was at Hampstead in the house of Dr.
Jorce?"

"Not that I know of," said Lucian, remembering that