door
still in her hand.

"I should like to see Miss Delora," I said. "My name is Captain
Rotherby."

The woman shook her head. She was apparently French, and of the
middle-class. She was dressed in black, her eyes and eyebrows were
black, she had even the shadow of a moustache upon her upper lip. To
me her appearance was singularly forbidding.

"Miss Delora cannot see you," she answered, with a strong foreign
accent.

"Will you be so good as to inquire if that is so?" I answered. "I
have an appointment with Miss Delora for this morning, and a motor-car
waiting to take her out."

"Miss Delora cannot receive you," answered the woman, almost as though
she had not heard, and closed the door in my face.

There was nothing left for me but to go down and interview my friend
the hall-porter. I commenced my inquiries with the usual question.

"Any news of Mr. Delora, Ashley?" I asked.

"None at all, sir," the man replied. "A companion has arrived for Miss
Delora."

"So I have discovered for myself," I answered. "Do you know anything
about her, Ashley?"

The man shook his head.

"She arrived here yesterday afternoon," he said, "with a trunk. She
went straight up to Miss Delora's room, and I have not seen them apart
since."

"Do they come down to the cafe?" I asked.

"So far, sir," the man answered, "they have had everything served in
their sitting-room."

I went back to my room and rang up number 157. The voice which
answered me was the voice of the woman who had denied me admission to
the room.

"I wish to speak to Miss Delora," I said.

"Miss Delora is engaged," was the abrupt answer.

"Nonsense!" I answered. "I insist upon speaking to her. Tell her that
it is Captain Rotherby, and she will come to the telephone."

There was a little whirr, but no answer. The person at the other end
had rung off. By this time I was getting angry. In five minutes time I
rang up again. The same voice answered me.

"Look here," I said, "if you do not let me speak to Miss Delora, I
shall ring up every five minutes during the day!"

"Monsieur can do as he pleases," was the answer. "I shall lay the
receiver upon the table. It will not be possible to get connected."

"Do, if you like," I answered, "but how about when Mr. Delora rings
you up?"

The woman muttered something which I did not catch. A moment
afterwards, however, her voice grew clear.

"That is not your business," she said sharply.

I tried to continue the