"I am told that you possibly are possessed of information which I have long been seeking in vain." Another nod. "Monsieur Lebas, the unfortunate little Frenchman who was murdered here in London, was, I believe, in your employment?" The baron here had a little fit of coughing. Uncle David accepted this as an admission. "He was acquainted with Mr. Longcluse?" "Was he?" says the baron, removing and replacing his pipe quickly. "Will you, Baron Vanboeren, be so good as to give me any information you possess respecting Mr. Longcluse? It is not, I assure you, from mere curiosity I ask these questions, and I hope you will excuse the trouble I give you." The baron took his pipe from his mouth, and blew out a thin stream of smoke. "I have heard," said he, in short, harsh tones, "since I came to London, nosing but good of Mr. Longcluse. I have ze greadest respect for zat excellent gendleman. I will say nosing bud zat--ze greadest respect." "You knew him in Paris, I believe?" urges Uncle David. "Nosing but zat--ze greadest respect," repeats the baron. "I sink him a very worzy gendleman." "No doubt, but I venture to ask whether you were acquainted with Mr. Longcluse in Paris?" "Zere are a gread many beoble in Paris. I have nosing to say of Mr. Longcluse, nosing ad all, only he is a man of high rebudation." And on completing this sentence the baron replaced his pipe, and delivered several rapid puffs. "I took the liberty of enclosing a letter from a friend explaining who I am, and that the questions I should entreat you to answer are not prompted by any idle or impertinent curiosity; perhaps, then, you would be so good as to say whether you know anything of a person named Yelland Mace, who visited Paris some twenty years since?" "I am in London, Sir, ubon my business, and no one else's. I am sinking of myself, and not about Mace or Longcluse, and I will not speak about eizer of zem. I am well baid for my dime. I will nod waste my dime on dalking--I will nod," he continues, warming as he proceeds; "nosing shall induce me do say one word aboud zoze gendlemen. I dake my oas I'll not, mein Gott! What do you mean by asking me aboud zem?" He looks positively ferocious as he delivers this expostulation. "My request must be more unreasonable than it appeared to me." "Nosing can be more unreasonable!" "And I am to understand that you positively object to giving me any information respecting the persons I have named?" The baron appeared extremely uneasy. He trotted to the door on his short legs, and looked out. Returning, he shut the door carefully. His grimy countenance, under the action of fear, assumes an expression peculiarly forbidding; and he said, with angry volubility-- "Zis visit must end, Sir, zis moment. Donnerwesser! I will nod be combromised by you. But if you bromise as a Christian, ubon your honour, never to mention what I say----" "Never, upon my honour." "Nor to say you have talked with me here in London----" "Never."