"Most robberies seem like that until afterwards," Rose answered, a little drily. "Besides," I argued, "Faraday is, in his way, a famous man. He must earn several thousands a year. Why should he run such appalling risks?" "Go and look at the _Era_, which I left on the sitting-room table," she enjoined. "Look at the paragraph at the bottom of the sixth page." I obeyed her, and read with a little start of surprise of the great deception accorded to Faraday at Melbourne the previous week. "What does it mean?" I asked Rose, when I returned. "It means that this man isn't Faraday at all," she declared. "I was doubtful of him from the first. I saw Faraday at the Coliseum about two years ago, and I am sure that he was a much older man." "In that case," I said thoughtfully, "I suppose it is our duty to warn the Duke." "You must do as you think best," Rose decided. I made my way reluctantly downstairs and turned into the gardens where I was told the Duke was. I found him at the end of a rose pergola. The Princess was seated by his side, and at the sound of their voices I hesitated and would have turned back. The Duke, however, recognised me and called out. In the bright moonlight which was flooding the gardens, he seemed unnaturally pale. His tone, too, when he addressed me, had lost its smooth, pleasant intonation. He was like a man who has been undergoing torture. The slight smile upon the Princess's lips chilled and depressed me. I felt that it was not a pleasant interview which I had disturbed. "Were you looking for me, Lister?" the Duke asked. "In a sense I was, your Grace," I admitted. "I--er--there was a little matter I thought I ought to mention to you." "Well?" I felt suddenly that my mission was ridiculous and my suspicions intolerable. Since I was there, however, I had to go through with it. "The man Faraday, the illusionist," I began---- "Well, what about him?" the Duke interrupted sharply. "Some one who saw Faraday perform at the Coliseum two years ago," I continued, "is of opinion that this man is not Faraday at all. The suspicion is confirmed by the fact that, according to this week's _Era_, Faraday is performing in Melbourne." "I have no doubt that your information is correct," the Duke replied coldly. "Now I come to think of it, I believe the agents told me that they were sending a Faraday man but not Faraday himself. You surely had some reason for bringing me this--information?" The wild absurdity of the whole thing made me feel like a fool. Then I remembered, however, that we had been deliberately sent here by our Machiavellian chief, and we had never been sent anywhere in vain. "It must sound idiotic, your Grace," I confessed, "but we were all very much impressed by the precautions against robbery connected with your jewel chamber. The fact that there was a man staying here to whom you yourself preferred not to show the jewels--staying here under a false name, with a ninety horse-power motor car in the garage----"