w him at Brieg, in Switzerland, first; next I
saw him in the railway station at Strasbourg; and yesterday I saw him
in London, standing opposite the door of my lodgings, as I was
leaving for this place."

"That looks bad," said Hilda, seriously.

"He is determined to find out what this business is, and so he
watches me. He doesn't threaten, he doesn't demand money--he is
simply watching. His game is a deep one."

"Do you suppose that the others are with him?"

"Not at all. I think he is trying to work this up for himself."

"It is bad," said Hilda. "How do you know that he is not in this
village?"

"As to that, it is quite impossible--and I never expect to see him
again, in fact."

"Why not?"

"Because I have thrown him off the track completely. While I was
going straight to London it was easy for him to follow--especially as
I did not care to dodge him on the continent; but now, if he ever
catches sight of me again he is much deeper than I take him to be."

"But perhaps he has followed you here."

"That is impossible," said Gualtier, confidently. "My mode of getting
away from London was peculiar. As soon as I saw him opposite my
lodgings my mind was made up; so I took the train for Bristol, and
went about forty miles, when I got out and came back; then I drove to
the Great Northern Station immediately, went north about twenty
miles, and came back; after this I took the Southampton train, and
came down last night. It would be rather difficult for one man to
follow another on such a journey. As to my lodgings, I do not intend
to go back. He will probably inquire, and find that I have left all
my things there, and I dare say he will watch that place for the next
six months at least, waiting for my return. And so I think he may be
considered as finally disposed of."

"You do not intend to send for your things, then?"

"No. There are articles there of considerable value; but I will let
them all go--it will be taken as a proof that I am dead. My friend
Black Bill will hear of this, and fall in with that opinion. I may
also arrange a 'distressing casualty' paragraph to insert in the
papers for his benefit."

Hilda now relapsed into silence once more, and seemed to lose herself
in a fit of abstraction so profound that she was conscious of nothing
around her. Gualtier sat regarding her silently, and wondering
whither her thoughts were tending. A long time passed. The surf was
rolling on the shore, the wind was