"You know and have talked with this man Armitage; you saw the device on
the cigarette case; and asked an explanation, which he refused; and you
know also Chauvenet, whom we suspect of complicity with the conspirators
at home. Armitage is not the false Baron von Kissel--we have established
that from Senator Sanderson beyond question. But Sanderson's knowledge of
the man is of comparatively recent date--going back about five years to
the time Armitage purchased his Montana ranch. Whoever Armitage may be,
he pays his bills; he conducts himself like a gentleman; he travels at
will, and people who meet him say a good word for him."

"He is an agreeable man and remarkably well posted in European politics,"
said Judge Claiborne. "I talked with him a number of times on the _King
Edward_ and must say that I liked him."

"Chauvenet evidently knows him; there was undoubtedly something back of
that little trick at my supper party at the Army and Navy," said Dick.

"It might be explained--" began the Baron; then he paused and looked from
father to son. "Pardon me, but they both manifest some interest in Miss
Claiborne."

"We met them abroad," said Dick; "and they both turned up again in
Washington."

"One of them is here, or has been here in the valley--why not the other?"
asked Judge Claiborne.

"But, of course, Shirley knows nothing of Armitage's whereabouts," Dick
protested.

"Certainly not," declared his father.

"How did you make Armitage's acquaintance?" asked the Ambassador. "Some
one must have been responsible for introducing him--if you can remember."

Dick laughed.

"It was in the Monte Rosa, at Geneva. Shirley and I had been chaffing
each other about the persistence with which Armitage seemed to follow us.
He was taking _dejeuner_ at the same hour, and he passed us going out.
Old Arthur Singleton--the ubiquitous--was talking to us, and he nailed
Armitage with his customary zeal and introduced him to us in quite the
usual American fashion. Later I asked Singleton who he was and he knew
nothing about him. Then Armitage turned up on the steamer, where he made
himself most agreeable. Next, Senator Sanderson vouched for him as one of
his Montana constituents. You know the rest of the story. I swallowed him
whole; he called at our house on several occasions, and came to the post,
and I asked him to my supper for the Spanish attache."

"And now, Dick, we want you to find him and get him into a room with
ourselve