Having decided to still remain in Madrid I deemed it advisable to engage the services of a private inquiry agent to watch the movements of De Gex and Suzor, who still remained at the Ritz. The mystery-man, living under an assumed name, never went out in the daytime, though Suzor often went forth, paying visits to certain banks and commercial offices in connexion with the proposed new railway. The man we engaged was an elderly ex-detective of the Seville police, named Pardo, who very soon discovered the identity of the secret agent employed to keep surveillance upon De Gex on behalf of the police so that no harm should befall him. In consequence, I took Pardo into my confidence, and calling him to my hotel, explained that I desired to keep secret watch upon the Frenchman Suzor, without the knowledge of the detective watching De Gex. "I particularly desire to know the addresses of any telegram which Suzor may send. Probably he may send some message to Italy. If so, please discover the address and the text of the message." I believed that De Gex might communicate with Moroni, now that the plot of Despujol had failed. "I will watch, señor," was the grey-haired Spaniard's reply. "If Señor Suzor sends any telegram I shall probably obtain a copy of it. They know me well at the chief telegraph office. Señor Suzor appears to be transacting a considerable amount of business in Madrid--a scheme for a new railway, I understand." "Yes, I know. All I want you to do is to find out who visits Mr. De Gex, and whether any telegrams are sent by either him or Mr. Suzor." "I quite understand, señor," was the detective's reply as he rose, and a few minutes later withdrew. Late in the evening two days afterwards I returned to the hotel to find the man Pardo awaiting me. After I had taken him up to my room and closed the door, he drew a piece of paper from his pocket, saying in French: "Señor Suzor sent a telegram at half-past eight this evening of which this is a copy." The message he handed me was in a pencilled scribble, and was in English as follows: "Charles Rabel, Rue de Lalande 163, Montauban.-- "Important that I should see you. Meet me at Hôtel Luxembourg, Nîmes, without fail, next Monday at noon.--O." The initial "O" stood for Oswald--Oswald De Gex! So the mystery-man of Europe contemplated leaving Madrid! I thanked the man Pardo, who said: "Señor Suzor did not dispatch the telegram from the chief office in the Calle del Correo, but from the branch office in the Plaza del Progreso. He apparently wished to send it in secret." "I wonder why?" I asked. The Spaniard raised his shoulders. The address conveyed nothing to me. But the message was proof that De Gex intended to leave Spain, and further, it was a source of satisfaction to know his destination in case he slipped away suddenly.