marked--

"He is late sometimes, but not often. He lives on the other side of
London--over at Camberwell." His confidence that the waiter would return
struck me as extremely curious; nevertheless I possessed myself in
patience, strolled up and down the restaurant, and then stood watching
the traffic in the Grove outside.

The man Odinzoff seemed a quick, hard-working fellow with a keen eye to
business, for he fell to polishing the top of the marble tables with a
pail and brush, at the same time directing the work of the
pallid-looking youth. Suddenly a side door opened, and the cook put his
head in to speak with his master in French. He was a typical Italian,
about forty, with dark mustaches turned upwards, and an easy-going,
careless manner. Seeing me, however, and believing me to be a customer,
he turned and closed the door quickly. In that instant I noticed the
high broadness of his shoulders, and his back struck me as strangely
similar to that of the man in brown whom we had seen disappearing in
Rannoch Wood.

The suspicion held me breathless.

Was this Russian endeavoring to deceive me when he declared that Olinto
would arrive in a few minutes? It seemed curious, for the man now dead
must, I reflected, have been away at least four days. Surely his
absence from work had caused the proprietor considerable inconvenience?

"That was your cook, wasn't it? The Milanese who is quarrelsome?" I
laughed, when the side door had closed.

"Yes, m'sieur. But Emilio is a very good workman--and very honest, even
though I had constantly to complain that he uses too much oil in his
cooking. These English do not like the oil."

I stood in the doorway again watching the busy throng passing outside
towards Royal Oak. Ten o'clock struck from a neighboring church, and I
still waited, knowing only too well that I waited in vain for a man
whose body had already been committed to the grave outside that far-away
old Scotch town. But I waited in order to ascertain the motive of the
bearded Russian in leading me to believe that the young fellow would
really return.

Presently Odinzoff went outside, carrying with him two boards upon which
the menu of the "Eight-penny Luncheon! This Day!" was written in scrawly
characters, and proceeded to affix them to the shop-front.

This was my opportunity, and quick as thought I moved towards where the
unhealthy youth was at work, and whispered:

"I'll give you half-a-sovereign if you'll answer