ne after a torturing wait.

"They ask me to hold the line."

Again a very long wait.

"What do they say?" asked Elaine again.

"Wait a little.... Yes, I'm here." ... "Mr Riviere has just left the
laboratory."

"Where has he gone?" prompted Elaine.

"Where has he gone?" ... "They do not know."

"But I _must_ find him!" cried Elaine. "Try his hotel, please."

The hotel people knew nothing of Riviere's whereabouts.

"Say to them to give him the message to telephone me the moment he
arrives."

The nurse gave the message and the telephone number of the home.
Suddenly she felt her patient sway heavily against her. The reaction had
set in from the feverish tension of the last hour--Elaine had fainted
away.

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE COUNTER-MOVE

Olive, as Elaine had guessed, went straight to Riviere's laboratory to
confront him. Not finding him there, she made her way to his hotel and
again drew blank.

This left her uncertain as to her next movements. Should she return to
the nursing home, and wait about in its neighbourhood in the hope of
meeting her husband on his way to see Elaine? That course seemed
undignified. Should she try the laboratory once more? That seemed a mere
waste of precious time. Should she walk the length of the Wilhelmstrasse
on the chance of crossing him there? That seemed a very long shot.

On the whole she judged it advisable to return to the Hotel Quisisana,
and from there to hold her husband by telephone. Accordingly she said to
the hotel porter at Riviere's hotel:

"When Mr Riviere comes in, tell him to 'phone up at once No. 352."

"Already haf I taken zat message, lady."

"To 'phone up No. 352?" asked Olive in surprise.

The porter referred to a slate by his side.

"Your pardon, lady, I am wrong. Ze number gifen me before is 392."

Olive opened her purse, took out a gold piece, and passed it into his
hand.

"Alter it to 352," she said.

The porter hesitated, looked at the 20-mark piece, looked around the
hall to see if anyone were observing him, and then said in a very low
voice: "Very goot. Vat name shall I say?"

"Mrs Matheson." She then left for the Quisisana.

And that was why Riviere never received Elaine's message, and why he
went first to call on his wife.

Olive received him in her private sitting-room. She was horribly
uncertain what line of action she ought to take, now that Elaine had so
completely reversed the situation. Her nerves, weakened by the