y some fantastic disclosure which none save a lunatic would dream of.

"Now, about this Mr. John Delancy Curtis," purred Schmidt, "has it been
ascertained beyond all doubt that he arrived in New York from Europe
this evening?"

"I think so, sir," was the jaded answer. "The police are satisfied on
that point, I believe, and he himself gave his last address as Pekin."

"Pekin!"

"Yes, sir."

Everybody was invariably astonished when they heard of Pekin. Had
Curtis described his recent residence as "the Moon" it would have been
regarded as only a degree more recondite.

"Then," said Schmidt, closing his eyes, "assuming he is the stranger he
represents himself as being, he could have no personal connection with
the murder of Monsieur Jean de Courtois?"

There! Another comet had fallen in 27th Street. Krantz winced, as if
the lawyer had struck him.

"Mr. de Courtois!" he gasped. "Who says he was murdered? He is--not
very well, it is true, but for all that I can tell, he is sound asleep
in bed at this minute."

"Sound asleep!" roared the Earl, who had been most positive in his
opinion that Curtis must have brought about the Frenchman's death for
his own fell purpose.

Otto Schmidt laid a restraining hand on his lordship's shoulder.

"Steady now," he murmured. "Remember my instructions. The inquiry is
committed to me for the time."

"But, confound it, man----"

"Yes, this is startling, this changes the whole aspect of the case.
But you see the value of calm and judicious method."

The egg-shaped man was certainly entitled to take credit for the
disclosure, and seldom failed to do so in many subsequent expositions
to admiring friends of a singular case, but he never realized how
thoroughly self-deluded the Earl had been by the original blunder.

"But, sir," protested the clerk, "it was never supposed that Mr. de
Courtois had been killed. No one knew who the poor gentleman was at
first, because Mr. Curtis's overcoat and his had been accidently
exchanged in the flurry and excitement after the crime was committed.
The police found the initials H. R. H. on his clothing, and that fact
led to his being recognized as Mr. Henry R. Hunter, a well-known New
York journalist. Had I seen him myself, I would have settled that
point in a moment, because he often came here to visit Mr. de Courtois."

"Indeed! That is very interesting, most decidedly interesting."

"Are you quite certain that what you are saying i