do not wish to make impertinent inquiries into your
private life. Nothing is of any concern of ours except the discovery
of the man's identity. He was picked up from amongst the wreckage of a
broken motor on the road to Versailles last night, and we have
information that a lady was with him only a few minutes before the
accident occurred."

"You are very unbelieving," Anna said coldly. "I hope you will not
compel me to say again that I do not know the man's name, nor, to the
best of my belief, have I ever seen him before in my life."

The official shrugged his shoulders.

"You decline to help us in any way, then," he said. "Remember that the
man will probably die. He had little money about him, and unless
friends come to his aid he must be treated as a pauper."

"I do not wish to seem unfeeling," Anna said, slowly, "but I can only
repeat that I am absolutely without concern in the matter. The man is
a stranger to me."

The official had no more to say. Only it was with a further and most
unbelieving shrug of the shoulders that he resumed his seat.

"You will be so good as to leave us your correct name and address,
mademoiselle," he said curtly.

"You have them both," Anna answered.

He opened the door for her with a faint disagreeable smile.

"It is possible, mademoiselle," he said, "that this affair is not yet
ended. It may bring us together again."

She passed out without reply. Yet she took with her an uneasy
consciousness that in this affair might lie the germs of future
trouble.

As she crossed the square, almost within a stone's throw of her
lodgings, she came face to face with Courtlaw. He stopped short with a
little exclamation of surprise.

"My dear friend," she laughed, "not so tragic, if you please."

He recovered himself.

"I was surprised, I admit," he said. "You did not tell me that you
were going out, or I would have offered my escort. Do you know how
late it is?"

She nodded.

"I heard the clock strike as I crossed the square," she answered. "I
was sent for to go to the Hospital St. Denis. But what are you doing
here?"

"Old Pere Runeval met me on your doorstep, and he would not let me go.
I have been sitting with him ever since. The Hospital St. Denis, did
you say? I hope that no one of our friends has met with an accident."

She shook her head.

"They wanted me to identify some one whom I had certainly never seen
before in my life, and to tell you the truth, they were positivel