The
floor-clerk and some of the pages recalled her very readily, and were
rather positive that they had not seen any foreigner with her, who
resembled a Valerian.

That was about the extent of the detectives' discoveries; for
Philadelphia yielded absolutely nothing, beyond the fact that she had
been at one of the Broad Street hotels, for a fortnight, prior to
coming to New York; and, before that, in Pittsburgh, Washington, and
New York; the last corresponding, in date, to my interview with her,
there, in December. At none of these places, could any traces be
discovered of an emissary of Lotzen.

Nor did the investigations at this end, conducted for me by Courtney's
secret agents, yield anything more satisfactory. During the period, in
question, the Duke had not been away from the Capital for over three
days at any one time, and none of his suite had been absent longer than
a week. Nevertheless, I was none the less positive that there had been
some sort of communication between Madeline Spencer, in America, and
the Duke of Lotzen, in Valeria, in response to which she was here.

So, it seemed Courtney was correct, as usual. He had predicted that
nothing would be found by the detectives; because, as he said, it was
just a case in which all tracks would be most effectively covered by
doing everything in the most ordinary way--and, apparently, that was
just what had been done.

There seemed to be nothing but to cultivate patience and settle down to
wait for someone to blunder, or for the lady to get tired of her
enforced residence in Dornlitz, and begin to get restless, and do
something which would give us a clue to work on.

She had retained her apartments at the Hotel Metzen--the management
having, however, addressed me as to my pleasure, in the matter--and, at
least, once every day, she had sought to pass some one of the City
gates; and, when refused, would then demand exit as the wife of the
Grand Duke Armand.

She drove and rode and walked about the town the cynosure of all
eyes--and some of them of admiring men, who would have been very ready,
doubtless, to start a flirtation; both for their own pleasure and in
the hope of gaining my good will by discrediting her.

But, she would have none of them, and went her way with the serene
blindness of an honest woman.

In the hotel, she bore herself with the quiet dignity and reserve
suitable to her assumed position. With the guests, particularly
Americans, sh