that she is travelling
_incognito_, but if she has given her right name it will be
Mademoiselle Vseslavitch."

The man scratched his head and looked worried.

"I would help Monsieur if I could," he said, "but I can only assure
him that there is no lady staying in this hotel at all. Alas! the
season is very bad, and we have few visitors."

That this dark-haired lady was not at the _Hotel de l'Europe_ did not
disconcert Verdayne very much. He had foreseen that she was hardly
likely to stay in the hotel with which English tourists would be
acquainted.

"It is many years," he said to the man, "since I stayed here. In fact,
I have practically no recollection of Langres except of this hotel and
the cathedral. I should therefore be very much obliged if you could
furnish me with a complete list of all the other hotels."

"Why now," said the man, "that is an exceedingly simple affair." And
he rattled off a list.

Paul repeated them after him.

"And you think," he asked, "that this is a complete list?"

"Quite complete, I should say," said the man, "for Monsieur's purpose.

"Permit me to help Monsieur," he went on. "Monsieur will pardon me,
but possibly this may be some romance."

He shrugged his shoulders, but with such an air of civility and
respect that Verdayne could not quarrel with him.

"At any rate, it is not my business to inquire. For the time it is
merely my end to serve Monsieur well. Be seated for a moment while I
make coffee and bring rolls and butter. It will fortify Monsieur
against the damp air."

Laughing a little, Paul suffered the man to bustle about. The fellow
was deft indeed, and soon Verdayne was glad that he had listened to
his counsel.

Midnight drew near and the porter turned the lights out, but Paul sat
until cockcrow, smoking and pondering on the strange paths into which
one's feet are sometimes led.

* * * * *

Shortly after eight, the man, who had been busy cleaning boots,
returned and made a gesture towards the sunlight, which was streaming
into the room.

"If Monsieur is in haste," he said, "I will not seek to detain him. By
this time the other hotels will be open. If Monsieur's mission is
urgent he should continue his search."

His air was so friendly and so charming that Paul resorted to the only
expression of appreciation of which he could conceive. He gave the man
another ten francs, and pledged him to silence. None the less, he had
little