awake and endeavouring to catch the drift of their conversation.

"I will be most pleased to meet your friend, Captain Gaultier," he said,
"and lest it should slip your memory I will give you a reminder."

He opened his card-case and wrote on the back of a card: "Grand Hotel.
Breakfast 11.30. No more at present."

The quick-witted King's messenger read and understood.

"It seems to me," he went on, "that he is the very man for your purpose.
Though he is not in favour at Court just now he has plenty of friends in
the various departments, and he could give you letters which would be
certain to secure you some excellent orders. I suppose you are going to
the East as the result of the rumoured intention of the Turkish
Government to reconstitute the navy."

Brett made a haphazard guess at Gaultier's meaning.

"Yes," he said, "we ought to place a good many thousand tons with them."

Gaultier leant forward to strike a match and glanced at their companion.
For some indescribable reason he shared Brett's views concerning this
gentleman, and immediately started a conversation of general
significance. They soon discovered that they had several mutual
acquaintances, and in this way they passed the dreary journey to Paris
pleasantly enough.

At the Gare du Nord, their knowledge of French methods enabled them to
get quickly clear of the _octroi_, as neither of them had any baggage
which rendered their presence necessary at the Custom-house. The
Frenchman, who seemed to be thoroughly revived by the air of his beloved
Paris, hurried out simultaneously with themselves. He had no difficulty
in hearing Brett's directions to a cabman. Gaultier entered another
vehicle.

Brett was the first away from the station. He fancied he saw his French
travelling companion hastily whisper something to a lounger near the
exit, so he suddenly pulled up his _voiture_, gave the driver a
two-franc piece and told him to go to the Grand Hotel and there await
his arrival. The cab had halted for the moment in the Rue Lafayette, at
the corner of the Place Valenciennes, and the cabman, recognizing that
his fare was an Englishman and consequently mad, drove off immediately
in obedience to orders.

Though nearly six o'clock in the morning, it was quite dark, but as
Brett walked rapidly back towards the station he had no difficulty in
picking out Gaultier, who occupied an open vehicle. Some little distance
behind came another, and herein the barrister t