"He is unchanged," she murmured, "yet I fear that there must be
trouble."

"Why? He seemed cheerful enough," her husband remarked.

She dropped her voice a little.

"Lucille is in London. She is staying at Dorset House."

CHAPTER X

Mr. Sabin was deep in thought. He sat in an easy-chair with his back to
the window, his hands crossed upon his stick, his eyes fixed upon the
fire. Duson was moving noiselessly about the room, cutting the morning's
supply of newspapers and setting them out upon the table. His master
was in a mood which he had been taught to respect. It was Mr. Sabin who
broke the silence.

"Duson!"

"Your Grace!"

"I have always, as you know, ignored your somewhat anomalous position as
the servant of one man and the slave of a society. The questions which
I am about to ask you you can answer or not, according to your own
apprehensions of what is due to each."

"I thank your Grace!"

"My departure from America seemed to incite the most violent opposition
on the part of your friends. As you know, it was with a certain amount
of difficulty that I reached this country. Now, however, I am left
altogether alone. I have not received a single warning letter. My
comings and goings, although purposely devoid of the slightest secrecy,
are absolutely undisturbed. Yet I have some reason to believe that your
mistress is in London."

"Your Grace will pardon me," Duson said, "but there is outside a
gentleman waiting to see you to whom you might address the same
questions with better results, for compared with him I know nothing. It
is Monsieur Felix."

"Why have you kept him waiting?" Mr. Sabin asked.

"Your Grace was much absorbed," Duson answered.

Felix was smoking a cigarette, and Mr. Sabin greeted him with a certain
grim cordiality.

"Is this permitted--this visit?" he asked, himself selecting a cigarette
and motioning his guest to a chair.

"It is even encouraged," Felix answered.

"You have perhaps some message?"

"None."

"I am glad to see you," Mr. Sabin said. "Just now I am a little puzzled.
I will put the matter to you. You shall answer or not, at your own
discretion."

"I am ready," Felix declared.

"You know the difficulty with which I escaped from America," Mr. Sabin
continued. "Every means which ingenuity could suggest seemed brought to
bear against me. And every movement was directed, if not from here, from
some place in Europe. Well, I arrived here four days ago. I live qui