asm. "Your cleverness, Lady Claire,
is colossal. Go on, I beg of you. Surely you have succeeded?"

"Alas! no. Everything was cut and dried and this evening we scored the
first point in the game. Henriette went on this evening to Amberieu,
the junction for Lyons. She went straight from her hotel, alone, for
of course I was obliged to keep close, or the trick would have been
discovered, and it was in part.

"For I must tell you that to-day one of the detectives appeared in
Geneva, not the first man, but a second, who attached himself to me at
Basle. I met him plump on the Mont Blanc Bridge and turned tail, but
he came after me. I jumped into a passing tram, so did he, and to
throw him off his guard I talked to him, and made friends with him,
and advised him to come and stay at this hotel. Then I got out and
left him, making my way to the Pierre Fatio Hotel by a circuitous
route, dodging in and out among the narrow streets till I nearly lost
myself.

"I thought I had eluded him, and he certainly was nowhere near when I
went into the hotel. But I suppose he followed me, he must have, and
found out something, for I know now that he went to Amberieu after
Henriette--"

"You are perfectly sure?"

"She has telegraphed to me from Amberieu; I got it not an hour ago.
The man accosted her, taking her for me. He would have it she was Mrs.
Blair, and told her to her face that he did not mean to lose sight of
her again. So you see--"

"If she goes round by Lyons to Marseilles, then, he would be at her
heels, and the scheme breaks down in that respect?"

"Not only that, I don't see that he could interfere with her, or do
her much harm, and at Marseilles she might change her plans entirely.
There are ever so many ways of escape from a seaport. She might take
ship and embark on board the first steamer bound to the East, for
India or Ceylon, the Antipodes or far Cathay."

"Well, why not?"

"Henriette, my sister, has given way. Her courage has failed her at
this, the most critical moment, when she is within a hair's breadth of
success. She is afraid to go on alone with little Ralph, and is
running back to me by the first train to-morrow morning, at five or
six o'clock."

"Coming here? Into the very mouths of all the others!"

"Just so, and all my great scheme will be ruined. They cannot but find
out, and there is no knowing what they may do. Lord Blackadder, I
know, is capable of anything. I assure you, Colonel Annesley, I a