rouble to find
me again. After a while I permitted him to do that. Once found, he
seemed determined that I should not be lost sight of again for want of
watching. I permitted that, too; it helped play my game, and I wanted to
bring it to an end. To which intent, Monsieur Steinmetz got to hear from
sources best known to himself as much of my plans as should bring him to
the state I wanted. That was a murderous state. I wanted to get him to
think that I was dangerous enough to be worth putting out of the way. I
presume he was aware there were, or would be, weak joints in his armor,
impenetrable as it seemed; and he preferred not risking the ordeal of
legal battle if he could help it. At all events, he elected at last to
rid himself of a person who might be dangerous, and was troublesome, by
the shortest and the simplest means.

"I say so because when, believing my man was ripe for this, I left Paris
about midday for a certain secluded little spot on the sea-coast, I saw
one of Monsieur Steinmetz's employees on the platform; and because,
two days after my arrival in my secluded spot, I met Monsieur Steinmetz
in person, newly arrived also. Now this was exactly what I had intended
and anticipated. Monsieur Steinmetz had come down there to put me out of
his way, if he could. He passed me, leisurely strolling in the opposite
direction, humming his favorite _aria_, bigger and yellower than ever,
the evil eye fiery on his finger. His own eyes shot me as evil fire; but
he said nothing.... I saw he was ripe, though.... My time was close at
hand.

"It came. Monsieur Steinmetz and I met once more in the very place where
I, knowing my ground, had intended we should meet. It was a dip in the
cliffs like a hollowed palm, and just there the cliff jutted out a good
bit, with a sheer fall on to the rocks below. It was a gray afternoon,
at the end of summer. The wind was rising fast; there was a thunder of
heavy waves already.

"I think he had been dogging me; but I hadn't chosen to let him get up
to me till now. We were quite out of sight when he had reached the level
bottom of the dip, where I had halted--quite out of sight, and quite
alone. To do him justice, he came on steadily enough. His face was liker
the sketch I had made of it, liker the face I had seen in my dream, than
it had ever looked before. Evidently he had made up his mind.... At
last, then!... Well, I had been waiting long!... He was close beside me.

"'_Ah! bon jour,