With an affable bow the Marquis accepted his proffered hand. "It is my hope that we shall always be good friends," he replied in that smooth purring voice of his. Then indicating his companion, he added: "May I have the honour of presenting you to the Count de Sé?" Tony shook hands in turn with the Count, who in contrast with the urbane Da Freitas appeared nervous and ill at ease. "How do you do?" said Tony. "I suppose it's my imagination, but d'you know I can't help feeling I have seen you before somewhere." For a moment the Count seemed at a loss how to reply, and before he could recover himself the Marquis da Freitas had taken up the gauntlet. "You are right, Sir Antony. You made the Count's acquaintance in Richmond Park the day before yesterday. It is that meeting to a certain extent which is responsible for our visit." With an air of pleased remembrance, Tony turned back to Isabel's guardian. "Why, of course," he exclaimed. "How stupid of me! I say, I hope you didn't hurt yourself when you fell off the car?" The Count drew himself up. "It is through a miracle that I was not killed," he replied with some stiffness. Tony nodded sympathetically. "I know," he said. "That's the danger of a clay soil. It gets so hard in hot weather." A sudden tinge of colour appeared in the Count's parchment-like face, and once again the soothing tones of Da Freitas broke in upon the conversation. "I expect," he said suavely, "that we have all been more or less under a misunderstanding. I am quite sure that when matters are explained this little Comedy of Errors will settle itself." "I shouldn't wonder," said Tony. "But won't you both sit down and have a cigar? There's no reason we shouldn't be comfortable while we are talking." He took a box off the mantelpiece and held it out in turn to his two guests. Da Freitas helped himself, and after a second's hesitation the Count followed suit, as though the tempting appearance of the cabanas that it contained had proved too strong for his contemplated refusal. It was Da Freitas who reopened the conversation. Having seated himself on the broad leather-covered couch against the wall, he took an appreciative pull at his cigar, and then removed it carefully from between his thick lips. "I suppose," he said, "that you are aware who the young lady is that you have apparently been good-natured enough to assist?" It was the identical question that Congosta had opened with, and Tony answered it in much the same fashion. "Why, of course," he said. "When I make new friends I am always most careful about their antecedents." The Marquis looked up at him sharply, but Tony's face remained absolutely expressionless. "As you may imagine," continued the former, "it was a cause of infinite relief to the Count and myself to learn that her foolish escapade had had no more serious consequences." He paused. "We should be interested to learn how and under what circumstances you became acquainted."