ed Laverick with obvious
relief, and at once directed his questioner's attention to him. Kahn
turned swiftly around and without a moment's hesitation came smiling
towards Laverick with the apparent intention of accosting him. He
was correctly garbed, tall and fair, with every appearance of being
a man of breeding. He glanced at Laverick carelessly as he passed,
but, as though changing his original purpose, made no attempt to
address him. The cashier, who had been watching, gave vent to a
little exclamation of surprise and sprang over the counter. He
approached Laverick hastily.

"Do you know that gentleman just going out, sir?" he asked.

"I never saw him before in my life," Laverick answered. "Why?"

"Is this your handwriting, sir?" the man inquired, touching with
his forefinger the half sheet of note-paper which he had been
carrying.

Laverick read quickly,--

To the Cashier at the Milan Hotel,--Deliver to bearer
document deposited with you. STEPHEN LAVERICK.

"It is not," he declared promptly. "It is an impudent forgery.
Good God! You don't mean to say that you parted with my property
to--"

The cashier stopped his breathless question.

"I haven't parted with anything, sir," he said. "I was just
wondering what to do when you came in. I'd no reason to believe
that the signature was a forgery, but I didn't like the look of it,
somehow. We'd better be after him. Come along, sir."

They hurried outside. The man was nowhere in sight. The cashier
summoned the head porter.

"A gentleman has just come out," he exclaimed,--"tall and fair, very
carefully dressed, with a single eyeglass! Which way did he go?"

"He's just driven off in a big Daimler car, sir," the porter
answered. "I noticed him particularly. He spoke to the chauffeur
in Austrian."

Laverick looked out into the Strand.

"Can't we stop him?" he asked rapidly.

The porter smiled as he shook his head.

"Not the ghost of a chance, sir. He shot round the corner there as
though he were in a desperate hurry, and went the wrong side of the
island. I heard the police calling to him. I hope there's nothing
wrong, Mr. Dean?"

The cashier hesitated and glanced at Laverick.

"Nothing much," Laverick answered. "We should have liked to have
asked him a question--that is all."

Bellamy came out from the hotel and paused to light a cigarette.

"How are you, Laverick?" he said quietly. "Nothing t