by the Chief,
and you could have knocked me down with a feather when I heard the
reason. I suppose I am acting rightly in coming at once to tell you,
although in my flurry at the time I quite forgot to ask the Chief's
permission, but as you are mixed up in the case at the request of the
Foreign Office, I thought you ought to learn what had happened."

"Well, what is it?" cried Brett, impatient of the other's careful
provisos.

"Simply this," said the detective. "Mr. Jack Talbot bolted from London
on Tuesday in company with a lady. They crossed over from Dover to
Calais by the midday boat, and went direct to Paris. Mr. Talbot calmly
booked rooms for himself and the girl in the Grand Hotel, had the nerve
to write 'Mr. and Mrs. Talbot, 118, Ulster Gardens, London, W.,' in the
register, and both of them disappeared forthwith. But we will soon lay
hands on the gentleman, no fear. I have somehow suspected, Mr. Brett,
that your notion of a political crime was all poppy-cock. It is a good
big brazen-faced steal."

"Is it?" said Brett, his face glistening with excitement at the
intelligence so suddenly conveyed to him. "Would you mind explaining to
me how this precious information reached you?"

"There is no use, sir, in fighting against facts," said the detective,
with dogged insistence. "This time you are dead wrong. Mr. Talbot was
recognized at Calais by a Foreign Office messenger returning from
France. Seeing him with a lady, and knowing that he was not married, the
messenger--Captain Gaultier by name--did not speak to him, especially as
Mr. Talbot seemed rather to avoid recognition. Captain Gaultier thought
nothing of the matter until this morning, when he visited the Foreign
Office on duty and heard something of the affair. He then saw the
Under-Secretary, the same gentleman who sent the Earl of Fairholme to
you, and told him what had happened. The Under-Secretary could hardly
refuse to believe such a credible witness, so telegrams were despatched
to the Embassy in Paris and the police at Dover. From Dover came the
information that exactly such a couple as described by Captain Gaultier
had crossed to France on Tuesday morning; and a few hours later a wire
from Paris announced the discovery of the registered names at the Grand
Hotel. The Paris telegram went on to say that the gentleman had told the
manager his luggage was following from the Gare du Nord, and that his
wife and himself were going out for half an hour, bu