‘Of course, Dad. I was going to tell you about it.’ The millionaire grunted. ‘Look here, Father,’ Nella whispered suddenly, and pointed to the balcony immediately below them. ‘Who’s that?’ She indicated a man with a bald patch on the back of his head, who was propping himself up against the railing of the balcony and gazing immovable into the ball-room. ‘Well, who is it?’ ‘Isn’t it Jules?’ ‘Gemini! By the beard of the prophet, it is!’ ‘Perhaps Mr Jules is a guest of Mrs Sampson Levi.’ ‘Guest or no guest, he goes out of this hotel, even if I have to throw him out myself.’ Theodore Racksole disappeared without another word, and Nella followed him. But when the millionaire arrived on the balcony floor he could see nothing of Jules, neither there nor in the ball-room itself. Saying no word aloud, but quietly whispering wicked expletives, he searched everywhere in vain, and then, at last, by tortuous stairways and corridors returned to his original post of observation, that he might survey the place anew from the vantage ground. To his surprise he found a man in the dark little room, watching the scene of the ball as intently as he himself had been doing a few minutes before. Hearing footsteps, the man turned with a start. It was Jules. The two exchanged glances in the half light for a second. ‘Good evening, Mr Racksole,’ said Jules calmly. ‘I must apologize for being here.’ ‘Force of habit, I suppose,’ said Theodore Racksole drily. ‘Just so, sir.’ ‘I fancied I had forbidden you to re-enter this hotel?’ ‘I thought your order applied only to my professional capacity. I am here to-night as the guest of Mr and Mrs Sampson Levi.’ ‘In your new rôle of man-about-town, eh?’ ‘Exactly.’ ‘But I don’t allow men-about-town up here, my friend.’ ‘For being up here I have already apologized.’ ‘Then, having apologized, you had better depart; that is my disinterested advice to you.’ ‘Good night, sir.’ ‘And, I say, Mr Jules, if Mr and Mrs Sampson Levi, or any other Hebrews or Christians, should again invite you to my hotel you will oblige me by declining the invitation. You’ll find that will be the safest course for you.’ ‘Good night, sir.’ Before midnight struck Theodore Racksole had ascertained that the invitation-list of Mr and Mrs Sampson Levi, though a somewhat lengthy one, contained no reference to any such person as Jules.