ty of de Loubersac's words; he
strode along, head bent, hands clasped behind his back, gazing with
unseeing eyes at the pebbles on the path. At last he spoke.

"Tell me how you knew for certain that Nichoune had received a visit
from Vagualame!"

"For some time past, Colonel, Vagualame has been under the eye of the
officer charged with the supervision of our spies, de Loreuil. Under
the guise of Aunt Palmyra he discovered that Nichoune had been
murdered. This was the morning after her interview with Vagualame. The
discovery, I may tell you, did not take de Loreuil altogether by
surprise. He had observed Vagualame's attitude towards the girl, and
had considered it queer--suspiciously so."

"This is serious, but it is not sufficiently definite," pronounced
Colonel Hofferman.... "Let us admit that Vagualame has played a
double game, has been at once traitor and spy. That being so, he may
have murdered Nichoune; but as to incriminating this agent whom we
have known a long time ... well ... you have merely a vague indication
to go upon ... the kind of reticence, or what you thought was
reticence, he wished to maintain regarding his journey to Chalons."

"Yes," admitted de Loubersac, "if that were all I had to go upon, it
would amount to little."

"You know something else?"

"I know that I arranged to meet this agent yesterday in the Garden, as
our custom is, that I waited there, that he never turned up."

Colonel Hofferman took de Loubersac's arm as they walked slowly back
to the reception-rooms.

"What you have just told me is exceedingly serious: we must enquire
into this at once--without loss of time. If Vagualame has really fled,
the probability is that he is Nichoune's murderer.... In that case,
there is nothing to prevent our suspecting him of no end of things
which I need not particularise."...

The colonel pointed to an individual standing by a buffet near the
entrance to the great reception-room.

"Let us go the other way," said he. "There is Monsieur Havard! I do
not at all want to meet him!... If we have to arrest Vagualame, it
would be unnecessary to take Police Headquarters into our confidence."

"Undoubtedly, Colonel."

"Then let us keep clear of Monsieur Havard! Devote your whole
attention to clearing up the questions raised by your talk. Find
Vagualame for me in three days. If you have not run him to earth, then
set our special enquiry men on his track.... I shall see you to-morrow
at the Mini