ming across. "I met you several years ago in Paris."

"Yes, indeed, Mr. Carpenter, I remember you!" Mrs. Clephane replied.

"Anything?" Harleston asked, without moving his lips.

"Nothing. I was here when they arrived," Carpenter replied in the same
manner--and went back to his table.

"Who is the woman with Harleston?" Snodgrass asked Mrs. Spencer. "I've
never seen her."

"A Mrs. Clephane," Madeline Spencer replied. "She's very good-looking,
isn't she?"

"I'm perfectly satisfied with the lady immediately in my fore," he
smiled. "I don't run to blondes--"

"When you're with a brunette!" she smiled back.

"I don't run to anyone when I'm with you," he replied with quiet
earnestness, leaning toward her across the table.

She shot him a knowing glance. Last night she had held him to strict
propriety. Today in the taxi she had deliberately set herself to
fascinate him, and had succeeded well. She had been demurely
tantalizing--holding him at a distance, letting him come a little
nearer, bringing him up sharply; all the tricks of the trade executed
with a perfection of technic and a mastery of effect. Snodgrass, with
all his experience, was but a novice in her hands; she always struck
directly at the affections--got them: and then the rest was easy. She
never lost her head, nor allowed her own affections to become involved;
save only twice--and both those times she had failed. Snodgrass, she had
learned through inquiries, had quite sufficient money to make him worth
her while; moreover, he was such a big, good-natured, dependable
chap--and a gentleman. If he had not been a gentleman he would not have
attracted Madeline Spencer for an instant. She dealt only in gentlemen.

She had not told Snodgrass of the Clephane letter, nor anything as to
Harleston except to refer casually to him as the confidential emissary
in delicate matters of the State Department. She had found that
Snodgrass was not the actual man in the case; that he was simply a
friendly confederate, or rather, to use his own words, "a friend of
Davidson." She had expected that the package or letter would be
delivered to her in the taxi; but Snodgrass had told her as soon as they
were started that Davidson would forward it to him at the Rataplan by
mail, not later than the two o'clock delivery. He would get it as they
were leaving and transfer it to her, accepting the consideration as
specified by Davidson, and receipting for it. He said flatly that he di