As Duperre took three first-class tickets to Fontainebleau, the undersized, grave-faced old man whom I had seen at the moment of our arrest followed him, and also took a ticket to the same destination. We entered an empty compartment where, just before the train moved off, the old man joined us. He posed as a perfect stranger, but as soon as the train had left the platform my companion introduced him to me. "I called last night and saw what had happened. Surely you have all three had a narrow escape!" he exclaimed. "Yes," said Duperre. "It was fortunate that Hylda recognized the _sous-inspecteur_ Bossant in the Bois. She put me on my guard. I knew we should be arrested, so I took precautions to get rid of the gold and conceal the stones." "But where are they?" I asked eagerly, as the train ran through the first station out of Paris. "They are still hidden in the hotel, I suppose. We've all been searched!" Madame laughed merrily, and removing her hat, unceremoniously tore out the three great feathers, the large quills of which she held up to the light before my eyes. I then saw to my amazement that, though hardly distinguishable, all three of the hollow quills were filled with gems, the smaller being put in first. At the detective's own suggestion she had put on her hat when arrested, and she had worn it during the time she had been searched, during the examination by the magistrate, and during her trial! Duperre was certainly nothing if not ingenious and his _sang-froid_ had saved us all from terms of imprisonment. Madame replaced the valuable feathers in her hat, and when we arrived at Fontainebleau we drove at once to the Hotel de France, opposite the palace, where we took an excellent _dejeuner_ in a private room. And before we left, Duperre had disposed of Lady Norah's jewels at a very respectable figure, which the sly old receiver paid over in thousand-franc notes. I marveled at my companion's ingenuity, whereupon he laughed airily, replying: "When 'The Golden Face' arranges a _coup_ it never fails to come off--I assure you. The police have to be up very early to get the better of him. His one injunction to all of us is that we shall be ready at all times to show clean hands--as we have to-day! But let's get away, Hargreave--back to London, I think, don't you?" The whole adventure mystified and bewildered me. It was a mystery which, however, before long, was to be increased a hundredfold. Alas! that I should sit here and put down my guilt upon paper! CHAPTER III THE MAN WITH THE HUMP One morning I called at Rayne's luxurious chambers in Half Moon Street, when he expressed himself most delighted at the result of our visit to Paris. "I want you to-morrow morning to drive Lola and Madame up to Overstow," he said. "Better start early. Call for them at the hotel at nine o'clock. The roads are good, so you'll have a pleasant journey. I'll get home by train at the end of the week."