ded in escaping only a single hour before the
message reached its destination.

Neither of them knew of this, and the novelist intended that they should
remain in ignorance--just as they were still in ignorance of the reason
of Paul's visit to Paris and of his detention there.

If they were aware of the reason of his warning, then they would most
certainly question him as to the manner in which he was able to gain
knowledge of the betrayal by Weirmarsh. He had no desire to be questioned
upon such matters. The motives of his action--always swift, full of
shrewd foresight, and often in disregard of his own personal safety--were
known alone to himself and to Scotland Yard.

If the truth were told, he had not been alone in Eastern France. At the
little old-world Croix-Blanche at Briey a stout, middle-aged, ruddy-faced
English tourist had had his headquarters; while, again, at the
unpretending Cloche d'Or in the Place St. Paul at Verdun another
Englishman, a young, active, clean-shaven man, had been moving about the
country in constant communication with "Mr. Maltwood." Wherever the
doctor from Pimlico and his assistant, Heureux, had gone, there also went
one or other of those two sharp-eyed but unobtrusive Englishmen. Every
action of the doctor had been noted, and information of it conveyed to
the quiet-mannered man in pince-nez.

"Really, Walter, you are quite as mysterious as your books," Enid was
declaring, with a laugh. "I do wish you would satisfy my curiosity and
tell me why you urged me to leave France so suddenly."

"I had reasons--strong reasons which you may, perhaps, some day know,"
was his response. "I am only glad that you thought fit to take the advice
I offered. This afternoon I have called to give you further
advice--namely, to remain in England, at least for the present."

"But I can't. My friend Jane Caldwell has been waiting a whole fortnight
for me, suffering from asthma in these abominable fogs."

"You can make some excuse. I assure you that to remain in London will be
for the best," he said, while she switched on the shaded electric lights,
which shed a soft glow over the handsome room--that apartment, the
costly furniture of which had been purchased out of the money secretly
supplied by Weirmarsh.

"But I can't see why I should remain," she protested, facing him again.
He noted how strikingly handsome she was, her dimpled cheeks delicately
moulded and her pretty chin slightly protruding, which