was beneath his thin
veneer of pretentiousness--"when we know how the British Government
kicked you out of its Secret Service as soon as it had no further use
for you, we can understand and sympathise with your natural reaction to
such treatment at the hands of Society."

"But one didn't know you knew so much, monsieur le capitaine."

"And then," said Phinuit, "when we know you steered a direct course
from London for the Chateau de Montalais, and made yourself persona
grata there--Oh, persona very much grata, if I'm any judge!--you can
hardly ask us to believe you didn't mean to do it, it all just happened
so."

"Monsieur sees too clearly...."

"Why, if it comes to that--what were you up to that night, pussyfooting
about the chateau at two in the morning?"

"But this is positively uncanny! Monsieur knows everything."

"Why shouldn't I know about that?" Vanity rang in Phinuit's
self-conscious chuckle. "Who'd you think laid you out that night?"

"Monsieur is not telling me----!"

"I guess I owe you an apology," Phinuit admitted. "But you'll admit
that in our situation there was nothing else for it. I'd have given
anything if we'd been able to get by any other way; but you're such an
unexpected customer.... Well! when I felt you catch hold of my shirt
sleeve, that night, I thought we were done for and struck out blindly.
It was a lucky blow, no credit to me. Hope I didn't jar you too much."

"No," said Lanyard, reflective--"no, I was quite all right in the
morning. But I think I owe you one."

"Afraid you do; and it's going to be my duty and pleasure to cheat you
out of your revenge if fast footwork will do it."

"But where was Captain Monk all the while?"

"Right here," Monk answered for himself; "sitting tight and saying
nothing, and duly grateful that the blue prints and specifications of
the Great Architect didn't design me for second-storey work."

"Then it was Jules----?"

"No; Jules doesn't know enough. It was de Lorgnes, of course. I thought
you'd guess that."

"How should I?"

"Didn't you know he was the premier cracksman of France? That is, going
on Mademoiselle Delorme's account of him; she says there was never
anybody like that poor devil for putting the comether on a
safe--barring yourself, Monsieur le Loup Seul, in your palmy days. And
she ought to know; those two have been working together since the Lord
knows when. A sound, conservative bird, de Lorgnes; very discreet,
tight-mouthed ev