‘Ah!’ said Racksole, ‘I was informed that everyone knew Jules, but it appears not. Well, be that as it may, previously to the night of your ball, I had dismissed Jules. I had ordered him never to enter the Babylon again. But on that evening I encountered him here--not in the Gold Room, but in the hotel itself. I asked him to explain his presence, and he stated he was your guest. That is all I know of the matter, Mr Levi, and I am extremely sorry that you should have thought me capable of the enormity of placing a private detective among your guests.’ ‘This is perfectly satisfactory to me,’ Mr Sampson Levi said, after a pause. ‘I only wanted an explanation, and I’ve got it. I was told by some pals of mine in the City I might rely on Mr Theodore Racksole going straight to the point, and I’m glad they were right. Now as to that feller Jules, I shall make my own inquiries as to him. Might I ask you why you dismissed him?’ ‘I don’t know why I dismissed him.’ ‘You don’t know? Oh! come now! I’m only asking because I thought you might be able to give me a hint why he turned up uninvited at my ball. Sorry if I’m too inquisitive.’ ‘Not at all, Mr Levi; but I really don’t know. I only sort of felt that he was a suspicious character. I dismissed him on instinct, as it were. See?’ Without answering this question Mr Levi asked another. ‘If this Jules is such a well-known person,’ he said, ‘how could the feller hope to come to my ball without being recognized?’ ‘Give it up,’ said Racksole promptly. ‘Well, I’ll be moving on,’ was Mr Sampson Levi’s next remark. ‘Good day, and thank ye. I suppose you aren’t doing anything in Kaffirs?’ Mr Racksole smiled a negative. ‘I thought not,’ said Levi. ‘Well, I never touch American rails myself, and so I reckon we sha’n’t come across each other. Good day.’ ‘Good day,’ said Racksole politely, following Mr Sampson Levi to the door. With his hand on the handle of the door, Mr Levi stopped, and, gazing at Theodore Racksole with a shrewd, quizzical expression, remarked: ‘Strange things been going on here lately, eh?’ The two men looked very hard at each other for several seconds. ‘Yes,’ Racksole assented. ‘Know anything about them?’ ‘Well--no, not exactly,’ said Mr Levi. ‘But I had a fancy you and I might be useful to each other; I had a kind of fancy to that effect.’ ‘Come back and sit down again, Mr Levi,’ Racksole said, attracted by the evident straightforwardness of the man’s tone. ‘Now, how can we be of service to each other? I flatter myself I’m something of a judge of character, especially financial character, and I tell you--if you’ll put your cards on the table, I’ll do ditto with mine.’