nnett understood by the ocular signal that his master flashed at him
that Mademoiselle Aubin's departure from the premises was to be
accomplished without witnesses, and he gravely followed the somewhat
mystified visitor out. Neither by look or gesture did he express the
slightest surprise at seeing an unkempt and none too clean foreigner in
the room. Ten years in the service of Mr. Travers Nugent had killed the
faculty of astonishment, or, at any rate, had taught him that the
outward and visible signs thereof were inadvisable.

Directly the door was shut on them Nugent's manner underwent a rapid
transformation. All the suave polish was gone. He became the brute and
the bully--the man with the whip-hand. He was not in the least
handicapped by having to express himself in French, because he spoke all
European languages as fluently as his own. He showered every vile
epithet he could think of on the onion-seller, calling him fool, dolt,
and everything by turn, and then, when he had pulverized the still
scowling but crest-fallen sailor into abject humiliation he demanded--

"Why, in the name of all that is idiotic, did you disregard my
instructions and come here to the house? I told you that nothing but the
last extremity would warrant any intercourse between us."

Pierre Legros raised his bloodshot eyes in half-defiant remonstrance. "I
came because I thought it was what you call the last extremity," he
said. "There has been some one on the quay at Exmouth to-day asking
questions of me. He also go on board our vessel and speak with my
captain."

"You think he was a detective?"

"No, monsieur; he was not of the police. I believe him to be a
gentleman. He lives here in Ottermouth. I see him often when I sell my
onions up the street--an old man with no hair on his face, dressed in
fine clothes, and having eyes that pierce like needles. Though of so
great age, he walks very quick and upright."

Nugent took a turn up the room, frowning and biting his lips. "So!" he
murmured to himself. "Mr. Vernon Mallory has to be reckoned with as
still on the active list, eh?" And coming back to where Legros was
standing, he added aloud, in more conciliatory tones: "You did right in
bringing me this news, my friend. The gentleman is meddlesome, but there
is no reason why he should become dangerous if you are discreet."

"I was discreet, monsieur," rejoined Legros. "The grey-head _Anglais_
set springes as one sets them for birds, but I wa