elegantly-dressed, clean-shaven gentleman whose aspect was that of an
Englishman careful of his personal appearance. The dapper man had
stopped in surprise as though he might have just recognized Ferragut.

The two exchanged glances without awakening the slightest echo in the
captain's memory.... He could not recall this man. He was almost sure
of never having seen him before. His shaven face, his eyes of a
metallic gray, his elegant pomposity did not enlighten the Spaniard's
memory. Perhaps the unknown had made a mistake.

This must have been the case, judging by the rapidity with which he
withdrew his glance from Ferragut and went hastily away.

The captain attached no importance to this encounter. He had already
forgotten it when, taking the car but a few minutes later, it recurred
to him in a new light. The face of the Englishman presented itself to
his imagination with the distinct relief of reality. He could see it
more clearly than in the dying splendor of the Cannebiere.... He passed
with indifference over his features; in reality he had seen them for
the first time. But the eyes!... He knew those eyes perfectly. They had
often exchanged glances with him. Where?... When?...

The memory of this man accompanied him as an obsession even to his ship
without giving the slightest answer to his questioning. Then, finding
himself on board with Toni and the third officer, he again forgot it.

Upon going ashore on the following days, his memory invariably
experienced the same phenomena. The captain would be going through the
city without any thought of that individual, but on entering the
Cannebiere the same remembrance, followed by an inexplicable anxiety,
would again surge up in his mind.

"I wonder where my Englishman is now," he would think. "Where have I
seen him before?... Because there is no doubt that we are acquainted
with each other."

From that time on, he would look curiously at all the passersby and
sometimes would hasten his step in order to examine more closely some
one whose back resembled the haunting unknown. One afternoon he felt
sure that he recognized him in a hired carriage whose horse was going
at a lively trot through one of the avenues, but when he tried to
follow it the vehicle had disappeared into a nearby street.

Some days passed by and the captain completely forgot the meeting.
Other affairs more real and immediate were demanding his attention. His
boat was ready; they were going to