Gloria, woman-like, was interested in what appeared to be a real romance. “I am so glad,” she said enthusiastically. “Zillah is such a delightful, charming girl, she deserves a good husband. I am surprised that she has not been married long before this. Uncle Howard speaks well of him, doesn’t he? And I think he is a very shrewd judge of character. We must certainly go to that party to see for ourselves. You agree, I am sure.” Yes, Lydon certainly agreed. Of course, he could not as yet give a hint to the unsuspecting girl of his reasons. He would dearly like to observe the adventuress and Edwards at close quarters. In London the next day, he found time to run round to Grewgus and inform him of what Howard Stormont had written. “Well, you will keep your eyes open when you are there,” said the detective. “I wish you could take me with you, but that, I suppose, is impossible. I’m a master of disguise, you know; I could go as something quite different from Grewgus. I might spot something that would escape you. I am very curious as to the game they have got on; it must be something big, or else they wouldn’t go to this considerable expense. Of course, that account of the recent marriage in Paris is all bunkum.” Lydon would dearly have liked to take the detective with him as an old friend, to obtain a card for him through Stormont. But he saw it was too risky. Stormont was a man of diabolical ingenuity and cunning. He would smell a rat at once. Later on, he might be able to work him into the Curzon Street ménage. “By the way, I have never shown you the snapshot of Edwards that Simmons took in Paris, have I?” asked the detective presently. He opened a drawer in his writing-table, extracted a photograph and handed it to his client. Lydon gave a cry of astonishment as he looked at it. “Well, of all the strange things that have ever happened! This man is a member of my own club, the Excelsior.” “What do you know about him?” asked Grewgus in an excited voice. “Well, almost next to nothing. The Excelsior is a big club, as you know, and there are dozens of different sets. He mixes rather amongst the fast lot. I have heard that he is a man of good family, a public school and Cambridge man, and has considerable private means.” “Do you know him to speak to?” asked Grewgus eagerly. “I may have exchanged a dozen words with him since I have belonged to the club. We both joined it about the same time, three years ago. I should rather say I knew him to nod to.”