"Yes--quite, thank you. By the way, that was Miss Larue who just left the room, was it not, Philippe?" "Yes, Monsieur--the great Miss Larue: the most famous of all English actresses." "So I understand. And the lame man who came in and spoke to her--who is he? Not a guest of the hotel, I am sure, since I have never seen him here before." "I do not know, Monsieur, who the gentleman is. It shall be the first I shall see of him ever. It may be, however, that he is a new arrival. They would know at the office, if Monsieur le Baron desires me to inquire." "Yes--do. I fancy I have seen him before. Find out for me who he is." Philippe disappeared like a fleet shadow. After an absence of about two minutes, he came back with the desired intelligence. "No, Monsieur le Baron, the gentleman is not a guest," he announced. "But he is visiting a guest. The name is Yard. He arrived about a quarter of an hour ago and sent his card in to Captain Maltravers, who at once took him up to his room." "Captain Maltravers? So! That will be the military officer from India, will it not?" "Yes, Monsieur; the one with the fair hair and moustache who lunched to-day at the table adjoining Monsieur le Baron's own." "Ah, to be sure. And 'passed the time of day' with me, as they say in this peculiar language. I remember the gentleman perfectly. Thank you very much. There's something to pay you for your trouble." "Monsieur le Baron is too generous! Is there any other service----" "No, no--nothing, thank you. I have all that I require," interposed the "Baron" with a gesture of dismissal. And evidently he had; for five minutes later he walked into the office of the hotel, and said to the clerk, "Make out my bill, please--I shall be leaving England at once," and immediately thereafter walked into a telephone booth, consulted his notebook, and rang up 253480 Soho, and, on getting it, began to talk rapidly and softly to some one who understood French. Meantime Mr. Narkom, unaware of the little powder train he had unconsciously lighted, had gone on up the stairs with his two companions--purposely avoiding the lift that he might explain matters as they went--piloted them safely to the suite occupied by "Captain Maltravers," and at the precise moment when "Baron Rodolf de Montravanne" walked into the telephone booth, Cleek was meeting Miss Larue for the first time since those distressing days of eleven months ago, and meeting Mr. Harrison Trent for the first time ever. Chapter XXXV Cleek found young Trent an extremely handsome man of about three-and-thirty; of a highly strung, nervous temperament, and with an irritating habit of running his fingers through his hair when excited. Also, it seemed impossible for him to sit still for half a minute at a stretch; he must be constantly hopping up only to sit down again, and moving restlessly about as if he were doing his best to retain his composure and found it difficult with Cleek's calm eyes fixed constantly upon him.