r jewels. "Did you tell Mr.
Wilson this?" he asked.

"Oh, yes. We had long talks about aristocratic families."

She repeated several tales she had told Wilson, and Steel asked her many
questions. When he took his leave he asked a leading one: "Did Mr.
Wilson wear a red cross as an ornament?"

"On his watch-chain he did," said Mrs. Benker, and Steel departed very
satisfied with his day's work.

CHAPTER X

ON A FRESH TRAIL

If Giles Ware had not been desperately in love and desperately anxious
to find Anne Denham, he would scarcely have gone to Paris on such a
wild-goose chase. The postmark on the letter showed that she was, or she
had been, in the French capital; but to find her in that immense city
was like looking for a haystack in a league-long desert. However, Ware
had an idea--foolish enough--that some instinct would guide him to her
side, and, therefore, as soon as he recovered sufficiently to travel he
crossed the Channel with Trim. He left Rickwell about three weeks after
his interview with Morley. Time enough, as he well knew, for Anne to
change her place of residence. But he trusted to luck.

For quite a fortnight he explored the city, accompanied by the faithful
old servant. Trim had sharp eyes, and would be certain to recognize Anne
if she came within eyesight. But in spite of their vigilance and
observation, the two saw no one even distantly resembling Anne.
Certainly if Giles had gone to the authorities, who take note of all who
come and go, he might have been more successful. But knowing that Anne
was wanted by the English police, he did not dare to adopt this method.
He was forced to rely entirely on himself, and his search resulted in
nothing.

"It ain't no good, Master Giles," said Trim for at least the tenth time;
"we've lost the scent somehow. Better go back to London. I don't want
you to be ill over here, sir, with nothing but foreign doctors to look
after you."

"I shan't leave Paris until I am certain that she is not in the place,"
declared Ware resolutely.

"Well, sir, I don't know how much more certain you wants to be. We've
tramped them bullyvardes and Chamy Elizas till our feet are near
dropping off. You're looking a shadow, Master Giles, if you'll excuse an
old man as nursed you when you were a baby. She ain't here. Now I
shouldn't be surprised if she were in London," said Trim wisely.

"What, in the very jaws of the lion? Nonsense!"

"Oh, but is it, sir? I always heard