t did Dr. Franklin reply?"

"I did not hear it all. I could not linger in the hall without
arousing suspicion. Dr. Franklin agreed that Miss Lawton was ill and
should go away, and he said he would try to induce her to go--that
M'sieu Mallowe was undoubtedly right, and he was delighted that he
took such an interest in Miss Lawton."

She paused, and after a moment Blaine asked:

"And that is all?"

"Yes, m'sieu." The French girl half turned as if to take her
departure, but he stayed her by a gesture.

"You have nothing else to report? How about Paddington?" He shot the
question at her tersely, his eyes never leaving her face, but she did
not flinch.

"M'sieu Paddington?" she repeated demurely. "I have nothing to tell
you of him."

"You didn't try, then, to lead him on, as I suggested--to get him to
talk about Miss Lawton, or the people who were employing him? You have
not seen him?"

"M'sieu Blaine, I could not do that!" she cried, ignoring his last
question. "I would do much, anything that I could for Miss Lawton, but
she would be the last to ask of me that I should lead a man on to--to
make love to me, in order to betray him! I will do anything that is
possible to find out for Miss Lawton and for you, m'sieu, all that I
can by keeping my ears open in the house of the minister, but as to
M'sieu Paddington--I will not play such a role with any man, even to
please Miss Lawton."

"Yet you have been meeting him in the park." The detective leaned
forward in his chair and spoke gently, as if merely reminding the girl
of some insignificant fact which she had presumably forgotten, yet
there was that in his tone which made her stiffen, and she replied
impulsively, with a warning flash of her eyes:

"What do you mean, m'sieu? How do you know? I--I told you I had
nothing to report concerning M'sieu Paddington, nothing which could be
of service to Miss Lawton, and it is quite true. I--I did meet M'sieu
Paddington in the park, but it was simply an accident."

"And was the locket and chain an accident, too? That locket which you
are wearing at the present moment, mademoiselle?"

"The locket--" Her hand strayed to her neck and convulsively clasped
the bauble of cheap, bright gold hanging there. "What do you know of
my locket, M'sieu Blaine?"

"I know that Paddington purchased it for you two or three days
ago--that he gave it to you that night in the park, and you allowed
him to take you in his arms and kiss you!"

"