doctor came at last. In reality it was barely five minutes since he
had been sent for, but time dragged itself along slowly in that little
room. Directly afterwards Huber, the manager, returned, followed by a
sergeant of the police. We all waited for the doctor's examination. I
fetched a chair for the child, and she thanked me with a wan little
smile. Always she sat with her back to the sofa. There was something
terribly suggestive in her utter lack of sympathy with the wounded man.

The doctor finished his examination at last. He came towards us.

"The wound is a very curious one," he said, "and I am afraid that the
bullet will be difficult to extract, but it is not in itself serious. It
is really only a flesh wound, but the man is suffering from severe
shock, and I don't like the action of his heart. He can be removed quite
safely. If you like I will telephone for an ambulance and take him to
the hospital. Do you know anything about this affair, sergeant?"

"Very little as yet, sir," the man answered. "I want this gentleman's
description of the person who showed him the pistol. The commissionaire
saw him leave, I understand, and one of the waiters saw something in his
hand. Was he a friend of yours, sir?"

"I only know his name," I answered. "He called himself Mr. Grooten, and
I judged him to be a foreigner, though he spoke perfect English. He
seemed to be about fifty years old, clean-shaven, and of under medium
height."

"Too vague," the sergeant remarked. "Had he any peculiarity of feature
or expression, anything which would help towards identification?"

"None that I can remember," I answered.

"How was he dressed?"

"Quietly. I could not remember anything that he wore."

"Did he give you any idea of his intention? Did he speak of Major
Delahaye at all as though he knew him?"

I shook my head.

"We simply both remarked," I said slowly, "that this--young lady seemed
to be very frightened of her companion, and I do not think that we
formed a favourable impression of him. He gave me not the slightest
intimation, however, of his intention to interfere."

"It could not have been an accident, I suppose?" Mr. Huber suggested.

"I might have thought so," I answered, "if he had not immediately left
the place. He disappeared so quickly that I did not even see him go."

"You sat by accident at the same table?" the sergeant asked.

"No, we came together," I answered. "We met at Charing Cross, and he
spoke to