n railing, scrutinising the windows
which were lighted up.

"Good! Good! Decidedly good!" he said, in a low tone of satisfaction....
"But there's two hours to wait ... they are still in the dining-room, if
I am to go by the lighted windows."

The watcher now inspected the rue Raffet. The house which interested him
so much, was situated just where the rue du Docteur Blanche opens into
the street at right angles. Auteuil is certainly not a frequented part,
but, as a rule, the rue Raffet is generally more lonely than any of the
streets in Auteuil: no carriages, no pedestrians.

From an early hour in the evening, that hilly road was, more often than
not, quite deserted, so was the rue du Docteur Blanche, still surrounded
by waste land, and more especially at the rue Raffet end.

A glance or two sufficed to show the man the lie of the land. He noted
the feeble glimmer of the street lamps; he made certain that not one of
the neighbouring houses could perceive his actions, mark his movements.
He repeated in a theatrical tone of voice with a note of amusement in
it.

"Not a soul! Not a solitary soul! Well, it is no joke to wait here; but,
after all, it is a quiet spot, and I can count on not being disturbed in
the job I have in hand to-night...."

This individual traversed the rue Raffet, gained the rue du Docteur
Blanche, and, wrapping himself up in his voluminous black cloak,
ensconced himself in a break in the palisades bordering the pavement. He
stood there motionless; anyone might have passed within a few yards of
him without suspecting his presence, so still was he, so imperceptibly
did his dark figure blend with the blackness of the night.

He started slightly. The church clock struck nine, its notes sounding
silvery clear through the tranquil night ... in the distance some
convent clock chimed an evening prayer, then a deeper silence fell on
the darkness of night....

Suddenly, the front door of the house, which the stranger had watched
with scrutinising intentness, was thrown wide open, showing a large,
luminous square in the darkness. Two women were speaking.

"Are you going out, my darling?" asked the elder.

"Don't be anxious, madame," replied a girlish voice. "There is no need
to wait for me. I am only going to the post...."

"Why not give Jules your letter?"

"No, I prefer to post it myself."

"You would not like someone to go with you? There are not many people
about at this hour...."

The same