ch do you prefer?"

"I suppose they will not try to stop us?"

"Who should try?" he asked.

"The people of the hotel--the police--I cannot exactly say whom;
but I dread something of the sort. I don't quite understand that
manager. He has been up to see me several times, and he spoke
rather oddly, rather rudely."

"Then he shall answer for it," snorted Sir Charles, hotly. "It is
the fault of that brute of a detective, I suppose. Still they
would hardly dare--"

"A detective? What? Here? Are you sure?"

"Perfectly sure. It is one of those from the Lyons Station. I knew
him again directly, and he was inclined to be interfering. Why, I
caught him trying--but that reminds me--I rescued this telegram
from his clutches."

He took the little blue envelope from his breast pocket and handed
it to her, kissing the tips of her fingers as she took it from
him.

"Ah!"

A sudden ejaculation of dismay escaped her, when, after rather
carelessly tearing the message open, she had glanced at it.

"What is the matter?" he asked in eager solicitude. "May I not
know?"

She made no offer to give him the telegram, and said in a
faltering voice, and with much hesitation of manner, "I do not
know. I hardly think--of course I do not like to withhold
anything, not now. And yet, this is a business which concerns me
only, I am afraid. I ought not to drag you into it."

"What concerns you is very much my business, too. I do not wish to
force your confidence, still--"

She gave him the telegram quite obediently, with a little sigh of
relief, glad to realize now, for the first time after many years,
that there was some one to give her orders and take the burden of
trouble off her shoulders.

He read it, but did not understand it in the least. It ran: "I
must see you immediately, and beg you will come. You will find
Hortense here. She is giving trouble. You only can deal with her.
Do not delay. Come at once, or we must go to you.--Ripaldi, Hotel
Ivoire, Rue Bellechasse."

"What does this mean? Who sends it? Who is Ripaldi?" asked Sir
Charles, rather brusquely.

"He--he--oh, Charles, I shall have to go. Anything would be better
than his coming here."

"Ripaldi? Haven't I heard the name? He was one of those in the
sleeping-car, I think? The Chief of the Detective Police called it
out once or twice. Am I not right? Please tell me--am I not
right?"

"Yes, yes; this man was there with the rest of us. A dark man, who
sat near the d