But Fandor's words fell dead in the silence of the apartment. After this summons he made his way into the office, and ensconced himself in an armchair: clearly Fandor was assured his friend had heard him. And he was not wrong! Two seconds later, lifting a curtain that hid a secret entrance to the study, Juve appeared. "You speak as if you knew I was here!" The two men looked at each other and burst into shouts of laughter. "So you understood it was all a put-up affair intended to make our opponents believe that for a time I was powerless to hurt them. What do you think of my notion?" "First rate," replied Fandor. "The more so that the fair Josephine 'saw with her own eyes' some of the force taking you off to prison." "Everybody believe it, don't they?" "Everybody." "Look here. You spoke just now as though you knew I was here?" Fandor smiled. "The odour of hot smoke is easily distinguished from the dankness of cold tobacco." Juve approved. "Well done, Fandor. Here, for your pains, roll a cigarette and let's talk. Have you anything fresh?" "Yes--and a lot, too!" Fandor related the talk he had had with Bonardin touching Valgrand, the actor, and Mme. Valgrand, alias--Mme. Raymond. Juve uttered his reflections aloud. "This is one riddle the more to solve. I still adhere to the theory that Josephine, some months ago, was brought into intimate relations with Lady Beltham, whose body I discovered at Cité Frochot and later identified." Fandor sprang up and placed both of his hands upon Juve's shoulders. "Lady Beltham is not dead: She is alive! As surely as my name's Fandor, the Superior of the Convent at Nogent is--Lady Beltham." XXVIII AN OLD PARALYTIC At the far end of the Rue de Rome Fandor halted. "After all," he thought, "maybe I am going straight into a trap. Who sent me the letter? Who is this M. Mahon? I never heard of him. Why this menacing phrase, 'Come, if you take any interest in the affairs of Lady B---- and F----.' Oh, if only I could take counsel of Juve!" But for the last fortnight, since the ill-starred affair of Nogent and the almost incredible discovery he had made that Lady Beltham was still alive, Fandor had not seen Juve. He had been to the Sûreté a number of times, but Juve had vanished. Fandor stopped before a private house on the Boulevard Pereire North. He passed in through the outer hall and reached the porter's lodge. "Madame, have you a tenant here named Mahon?" The porteress came forward. "M. Mahon? To be sure--fifth floor on the right." "Thank you. I should like to ask a few questions about him. I have come--to negotiate an insurance policy for him and I should like to know about the value of the furniture in his rooms. What sort of a man is this M. Mahon? About how old is he?" Fandor had, by pure professional instinct, found the best device in the world. There is not a porteress who has not many times enlightened insurance agents.