nch today she rang up to say she would not appear at the
Palaceum to-night or any more at all! It's very upsetting for us;
and I don't mind telling you, gentlemen, that I've been to my
solicitors about it..."

"And why the blazes didn't you come and tell me?" demanded the
Chief furiously.

"Well, sir, I thought it was only a bit of pique on her part, and
I hoped to be able to talk the lady round. I know what these
stars are!"

"You've seen her then?" the Chief snapped out.

"No, I haven't!" Mr. Samuel lamented. "I've been twice to the
Nineveh--that's where she's stopping--and each time she was out!"

The Chief dismissed him curtly.

When the door had closed behind him, the Chief said to the First
Sea Lord:

"This is where D.O.R.A. steps in, I think, sir!"

"Decidedly!" replied the Admiral. "Will you take the necessary
steps?"

The Chief nodded and pressed the bell. Matthews appeared.

"Anything from the Nineveh?" he asked.

"The lady has not returned, sir!"

"Anything from Gordon and Duff?"

"No, sir, nothing all day!"

The telephone on the desk whirred. The Chief lifted the receiver.

"Yes. Oh, it's you, Gordon? No, you can say it now: this is a
private line."

He listened at the receiver for a couple of minutes. The room was
very still.

"All right, come to the office at once!"

The Chief hung up the receiver and turned to the Admiral.

"She's given us the slip for the moment!" he said. "That was
Gordon speaking. He and Duff have been shadowing our lady friend
out of doors for days. She left the hotel on foot after lunch
this afternoon with my two fellows in her wake. There was a bit
of a crush on the pavement near Charing Cross and Duff was pushed
into the roadway and run over by a motor-'bus. In the confusion
Gordon lost the trail. He's wasted all this time trying to pick
it up again instead of reporting to me at once."

"Zut!" cried the Frenchman.

CHAPTER XI. CREDENTIALS

The sight of Nur-el-Din filled Desmond with alarm. For a moment
his mind was overshadowed by the dread of detection. He had
forgotten all about Mr. Crook's handiwork in the train, and his
immediate fear was that the dancer would awake and recognize him.
But then he caught sight of his face in the mirror over the
mantelpiece. The grave bearded man staring oddly at him out of
the glass gave him a shock until he realized the metamorphosis
that had taken place in his personality. The realization served
instantly t