‘Perhaps he charged you with some commission,’ Le Gautier observed, and pricking up his ears for any scrap of useful information. ‘Not that I remember; indeed, I did not see him for years before he died. He was an eccentric man, and an extreme politician—in fact, he got into serious trouble with the authorities, and might even have been arrested, had he not removed himself to New York.’ ‘New York?’ queried Le Gautier, wondering vaguely where he had heard of this Ughtred Charteris before. ‘Was he connected with any secret society—any Socialist conspiracy?’ ‘Do you know, I really fancy he was,’ Sir Geoffrey whispered mysteriously. ‘There were certainly some curious things in his effects which were sent to me. I can show you some now, if you would like to see them.’ Le Gautier expressed his willingness; and the baronet led the way into a small room at the back of the house, half library, half studio. In one corner was an old ebony cabinet; and opening the front, he displayed a multitude of curiosities such as a man will gather together in the course of years. In one little drawer was a case of coins. Le Gautier turned them over carelessly one by one, till, suddenly starting, he eagerly lifted one and held it to the light. ‘Where did you get this?’ he asked abruptly. Sir Geoffrey took it in his hand. It was a gold coin, a little larger than an ordinary sovereign, and bearing on the reverse side a curious device. ‘That came with the rest of my brother’s curiosities.—But why do you ask? You look as if the coin had burnt you.’ For a moment, Le Gautier had started back, his pale face aglow with suppressed excitement; but as he noticed the baronet’s wondering eyes upon him, he recovered himself by a violent effort. ‘It is nothing’—with a smile. ‘It is only the coincidence which startled me for a moment. If you will look here, you will see that I wear a similar coin upon my watch-chain.’ Sir Geoffrey looked down, and, surely enough, on the end of Le Gautier’s pendant was the fac-simile of the medal he held in his hand. ‘Bless me, what an extraordinary thing!’ the startled baronet exclaimed. ‘So it is! Perhaps you do not mind telling me where you procured yours?’ ‘It was given to me,’ Le Gautier replied, with an enigmatic smile. ‘It could not help you, if I told you.—Sir Geoffrey, may I ask you to lend me this coin for a short while? I will tell you some time what I want it for.’ ‘Some other time, perhaps.’—Le Gautier threw the coin into its place.—‘You see, I regard it as a valuable curiosity and relic, or perhaps I might part with it. You will pardon me.—But I forgot all about our spiritualistic discourse. As you are a medium, I will ask you’—— ‘At some future time, with all the pleasure in life,’ Le Gautier interrupted hastily. ‘Meanwhile, it is getting late—past eleven now.’