e goes out of this hotel, even if I have to throw
him out myself.'

Theodore Racksole disappeared without another word, and Nella followed
him.

But when the millionaire arrived on the balcony floor he could see
nothing of Jules, neither there nor in the ball-room itself. Saying
no word aloud, but quietly whispering wicked expletives, he searched
everywhere in vain, and then, at last, by tortuous stairways and
corridors returned to his original post of observation, that he might
survey the place anew from the vantage ground. To his surprise he
found a man in the dark little room, watching the scene of the ball
as intently as he himself had been doing a few minutes before. Hearing
footsteps, the man turned with a start.

It was Jules.

The two exchanged glances in the half light for a second.

'Good evening, Mr Racksole,' said Jules calmly. 'I must apologize for
being here.'

'Force of habit, I suppose,' said Theodore Racksole drily.

'Just so, sir.'

'I fancied I had forbidden you to re-enter this hotel?'

'I thought your order applied only to my professional capacity. I am
here to-night as the guest of Mr and Mrs Sampson Levi.'

'In your new role of man-about-town, eh?'

'Exactly.'

'But I don't allow men-about-town up here, my friend.'

'For being up here I have already apologized.'

'Then, having apologized, you had better depart; that is my
disinterested advice to you.'

'Good night, sir.'

'And, I say, Mr Jules, if Mr and Mrs Sampson Levi, or any other Hebrews
or Christians, should again invite you to my hotel you will oblige me by
declining the invitation. You'll find that will be the safest course for
you.'

'Good night, sir.'

Before midnight struck Theodore Racksole had ascertained that the
invitation-list of Mr and Mrs Sampson Levi, though a somewhat lengthy
one, contained no reference to any such person as Jules.

He sat up very late. To be precise, he sat up all night. He was a man
who, by dint of training, could comfortably dispense with sleep when he
felt so inclined, or when circumstances made such a course advisable.
He walked to and fro in his room, and cogitated as few people beside
Theodore Racksole could cogitate. At 6 a.m. he took a stroll round the
business part of his premises, and watched the supplies come in from
Covent Garden, from Smithfield, from Billingsgate, and from other
strange places. He found the proceedings of the kitchen department quite
interesting, and ma