nd
complicated recital, and occupied about an hour. During that time little
Felix never spoke a word, scarcely moved a muscle; only his small eyes
gazed through the bluish haze of smoke. The clock on the mantelpiece
tinkled midnight.

'Time for whisky and soda,' said Racksole, and got up as if to ring the
bell; but Babylon waved him back.

'You have told me that this Sampson Levi had an audience of Prince Eugen
to-day, but you have not told me the result of that audience,' said
Babylon.

'Because I do not yet know it. But I shall doubtless know to-morrow. In
the meantime, I feel fairly sure that Levi declined to produce Prince
Eugen's required million. I have reason to believe that the money was
lent elsewhere.'

'H'm!' mused Babylon; and then, carelessly, 'I am not at all surprised
at that arrangement for spying through the bathroom of the State
apartments.'

'Why are you not surprised?'

'Oh!' said Babylon, 'it is such an obvious dodge--so easy to carry out.
As for me, I took special care never to involve myself in these affairs.
I knew they existed; I somehow felt that they existed. But I also felt
that they lay outside my sphere. My business was to provide board and
lodging of the most sumptuous kind to those who didn't mind paying for
it; and I did my business. If anything else went on in the hotel, under
the rose, I long determined to ignore it unless it should happen to be
brought before my notice; and it never was brought before my notice.
However, I admit that there is a certain pleasurable excitement in this
kind of affair and doubtless you have experienced that.'

'I have,' said Racksole simply, 'though I believe you are laughing at
me.'

'By no means,' Babylon replied. 'Now what, if I may ask the question, is
going to be your next step?'

'That is just what I desire to know myself,' said Theodore Racksole.

'Well,' said Babylon, after a pause, 'let us begin. In the first place,
it is possible you may be interested to hear that I happened to see
Jules to-day.'

'You did!' Racksole remarked with much calmness. 'Where?'

'Well, it was early this morning, in Paris, just before I left there.
The meeting was quite accidental, and Jules seemed rather surprised at
meeting me. He respectfully inquired where I was going, and I said that
I was going to Switzerland. At that moment I thought I was going to
Switzerland. It had occurred to me that after all I should be happier
there, and that I had better