utherner. About thirty, he was
tall, lithe, and well dressed in a dark-brown lounge suit. His
complexion, his chestnut hair, his erect, rather soldierly bearing, his
clean-shaven face, and his open countenance gave him every appearance of
an English gentleman. Indeed, I at first took him for an Englishman, for
he spoke English so perfectly.

When he had examined my testimonials and made a number of inquiries, he
asked--

"You speak French?"

"Yes," was my reply; "a little Italian, and a little German."

"Italian!" he exclaimed in surprise. "Excellent!"

Then, while we sat alone, with no one within hearing, he told me the
terms upon which he was willing to engage me to drive on the Continent,
and added--

"Your salary will be doubled--providing I find you entirely loyal
to me. That is to say, you must know how to keep your mouth
closed--understand?"

And he regarded me rather curiously, I thought.

"No," I answered; "I don't quite understand."

"Well, well, there are matters--private family matters--of which you
will probably become cognisant. Truth to tell, I want help--the help of
a good, careful driver who isn't afraid, and who is always discreet. I
may as well tell you that before I wrote to you I made certain secret
inquiries regarding you, and I feel confident that you can serve me very
much to our mutual advantage."

This puzzled me, and my curiosity was further aroused when he added--

"To be plain, there is a certain young lady in very high society in the
case. I need not tell you more, need I? You will be discreet, eh?"

I smiled and promised. What did it all mean? I wondered. My employer
was mysterious; but in due course I should, as he prophesied, obtain
knowledge of this secret--a secret love affair, no doubt.

The Count's private affairs did not, after all, concern me. My duty was
to drive on the Continent, and for what he was to pay me I was to serve
him loyally, and see that his tyre and petrol bills were not too
exorbitant.

He went to the writing-table and wrote out a short agreement which he
copied, and we both signed it--a rather curiously worded agreement by
which I was to serve him for three years, and during that time our
interests were "to be mutual." That last phrase caused me to wonder
but I scribbled my name and refrained from comment, for the payment
was already double that which I was receiving from the firm.

"My car is outside," he remarked, as he folded his copy of the a