There was a pause, during which the newcomer shut the window and closed
the door leading to the next room. Then he came up to the old duke,
touched him gently on the shoulder, to wake him from his torpor, and
without further preface, as though to cut short any explanation that was
not absolutely necessary, spoke as follows:

"Four years ago, that is to say, in the eleventh year of my voluntary
exile, when I settled in the extreme south of Algeria, I made the
acquaintance, in the course of a hunting-expedition arranged by a big
Arab chief, of a man whose geniality, whose charm of manner, whose
consummate prowess, whose indomitable pluck, whose combined humour and
depth of mind fascinated me in the highest degree. The Comte d'Andresy
spent six weeks as my guest. After he left, we kept up a correspondence
at regular intervals. I also often saw his name in the papers, in the
society and sporting columns. He was to come back and I was preparing to
receive him, three months ago, when, one evening as I was out riding, my
two Arab attendants flung themselves upon me, bound me, blindfolded me
and took me, travelling day and night, for a week, along deserted roads,
to a bay on the coast, where five men awaited them. I was at once
carried on board a small steam-yacht, which weighed anchor without
delay. There was nothing to tell me who the men were nor what their
object was in kidnapping me. They had locked me into a narrow cabin,
secured by a massive door and lighted by a port-hole protected by two
iron cross-bars. Every morning, a hand was inserted through a hatch
between the next cabin and my own and placed on my bunk two or three
pounds of bread, a good helping of food and a flagon of wine and removed
the remains of yesterday's meals, which I put there for the purpose.
From time to time, at night, the yacht stopped and I heard the sound of
the boat rowing to some harbour and then returning, doubtless with
provisions. Then we set out once more, without hurrying, as though on a
cruise of people of our class, who travel for pleasure and are not
pressed for time. Sometimes, standing on a chair, I would see the
coastline, through my port-hole, too indistinctly, however, to locate
it. And this lasted for weeks. One morning, in the ninth week, I
perceived that the hatch had been left unfastened and I pushed it open.
The cabin was empty at the time. With an effort, I was able to take a
nail-file from a dressing-table. Two weeks after t