She is too sly to face old Fraser; his brother has
warned him. But she says she will need me in the winter, on her return."

The deceived scoundrel laughed. "The coast is left clear for me now!
I'll telegraph to Joseph Smith, run on to Geneva, deposit my own
jewels there, in the agency of the Credit Lyonnais, and then return the
notifications of protest of the Bills of Exchange to Ram Lal.

"I wonder if I can steal those jewels, get my Major's rank as a reward
from the Viceroy, and marry the girl? It would be the luck of a life!"
he dreamed.

Two days later, on the terraces of Lausanne, he laughed over Jack
Blunt's cheeky campaign.

"The 'artist dodge' worked to a charm," wrote Jack. "I used the Kodak,
and I have a dozen good views of the house, and as many more of the
grounds. My chapter on the 'Artistic Homes of Jersey,' will be a
full one! I soon jollied a couple of the London maid servants into my
confidence. By the way, send me, at once, another 'tenner' for expense,
and some money for my own regular bills. I can make great play on the
two frolicsome maids. They are up for a lark. The shy bird keeps her
rooms; and there really seems to be no young man around. Devilish
strange! A room is being got ready for the old body servant who is now
on his way from India. He might fall over Rozel cliff some night, when
half seas over! That's a natural ending for him! Maps, sketches, and all
will be ready for you at the place we agreed. It's all lying ready to
our hand, and ten minutes of a dark night is all I want. The old chap
is always mooning alone in his study, till the midnight hours, over his
books, and he has the whole ground floor to himself. The men are in the
gardener's house, ten rods away, and all the women sleep upstairs.
He sees no one but a half crazy Yankee professor, who drops in of a
morning. But, the shy bird keeps in her cage, and lives in great state,
upstairs. More when you send the money."

On his way to say adieu to Justine, before departing to Vienna, Alan
Hawke smiled grimly. "I can strike now, when I will, and as I will! But,
first to race around a little, and then, having fulfilled my mission, to
get a couple of weeks' furlough, to go about my own affairs. The coast
is clear. Jack Blunt's plan is right. Simpson must be first put out of
the way. He would fight like a rat on general principles."

At Rosebank Villa, Madame Alixe Delavigne was nightly busied now in
official conferences with Major