,
he of the Stetson and brogues, and M. Duquesne, of Paris. Stetson and
brogues, as became a non-official, observed much outward deference
towards the Chief Inspector in whose room he found himself.

"We may take it, then," said Sheffield, with a keen glance of his
shrewd, kindly eyes towards the American and the celebrated little
Frenchman, "that Bablon, when he isn't made up, is a man so extremely
handsome and of such marked personality that he'd be spotted anywhere.
We have some reason to believe that he's a Jew. The head of the greatest
Jewish house in Europe has declined to deny, according to M. Duquesne,
that he knows who he is, and"--consulting a sheet of foolscap--"Mr.
Alden, here, from New York, volunteers the information that H. T.
Sheard, of the _Gleaner_, went to see Bablon this morning. We are aware,
from information by Sir Leopold Jesson, that this newspaper man is
acquainted with B. But we can't act on it. We understand that Bablon has
a house in or near to London. None of us"--looking hard at Alden--"have
any idea of the locality. There are two rewards privately offered,
totalling L3,000--which is of more interest to Mr. Alden than to the
rest of us--and M. Duquesne is advised this morning that his Chief is
coming over at once. Now, we're all as wise as one another"--with a
second hard look at his French confrere and Alden--"so we can all set
about the job again in our own ways."

After this interesting conference, whereof each member had but sought to
pump the others, M. Duquesne, entering Whitehall, almost ran into a tall
man, wearing a most unusual and conspicuous caped overcoat, silk lined;
whose haughty, downward glance revealed his possession of very large,
dark eyes; whose face was so handsome that the little Frenchman caught
his breath; whose carriage was that of a monarch or of one of the
musketeers of Louis XIII.

With the ease of long practice, M. Duquesne formed an unseen escort for
this distinguished stranger.

Arriving at Charing Cross, the latter, without hesitation, entered the
telegraph office. M. Duquesne also recollected an important matter that
called for a telegram. In quest of a better pen he leaned over to the
compartment occupied by the handsome man, but was unable to get so much
as a glimpse of what he was writing. Having handed in his message in
such a manner that the ingenious Frenchman was foiled again, he strode
out, the observed of everyone in the place, but particularly