nor
Suzor sends any telegram I shall probably obtain a copy of it. They
know me well at the chief telegraph office. Senor Suzor appears to be
transacting a considerable amount of business in Madrid--a scheme for
a new railway, I understand."

"Yes, I know. All I want you to do is to find out who visits Mr. De
Gex, and whether any telegrams are sent by either him or Mr. Suzor."

"I quite understand, senor," was the detective's reply as he rose, and
a few minutes later withdrew.

Late in the evening two days afterwards I returned to the hotel to
find the man Pardo awaiting me. After I had taken him up to my room
and closed the door, he drew a piece of paper from his pocket, saying
in French:

"Senor Suzor sent a telegram at half-past eight this evening of which
this is a copy."

The message he handed me was in a pencilled scribble, and was in
English as follows:

"Charles Rabel, Rue de Lalande 163, Montauban.--

"Important that I should see you. Meet me at Hotel
Luxembourg, Nimes, without fail, next Monday at noon.--O."

The initial "O" stood for Oswald--Oswald De Gex! So the mystery-man of
Europe contemplated leaving Madrid!

I thanked the man Pardo, who said:

"Senor Suzor did not dispatch the telegram from the chief office in
the Calle del Correo, but from the branch office in the Plaza del
Progreso. He apparently wished to send it in secret."

"I wonder why?" I asked.

The Spaniard raised his shoulders.

The address conveyed nothing to me. But the message was proof that De
Gex intended to leave Spain, and further, it was a source of
satisfaction to know his destination in case he slipped away suddenly.

After Pardo had gone I sat and pondered. It struck me as very curious
that Suzor should have gone to a distant telegraph office in order to
send the message. It seemed that he feared to be recognized by the
counter-clerk at the chief telegraph office. For over an hour I smoked
reflectively. I confess that a curious ill-defined suspicion had
arisen in my mind, a suspicion that became so strong that just about
eleven o'clock I entered the Jefatura Superior de Policia in the Calle
de la Princesa, and again inquired for Senor Andrade.

Fortunately he had been detained in his office, and I was shown into
his presence.

He seemed surprised to see me, but at once he became interested when I
said:

"I have a distinct suspicion that I know the whereabouts of Despujol."

"Have you?" he exc