What could be the meaning of this letter? Why should his friend offer no explanation as to what it contained? Had he really met Marie and was the letter from her? One thing he knew, he must find out what this mysterious letter contained. He decided the next best plan was to go to an interpreter, so he inquired at the hotel the name of an interpreter and was informed where he could get any language interpreted. He called at the address, explained his mission to the manager and turned over the letter. In a few minutes the manager returned, handed him the letter, told him there was the door, please get out and ask no questions. Robert again begged for some explanation but the man was defiant and refused to make any comment. Robert returned to his hotel to think matters over. He bought a paper and looked over the news from New York and market reports. He saw that cotton and stocks were advancing as he expected, but money-making now was of no interest to him when he at last thought that he had found where Marie was. He decided to place a personal notice in all the papers in Paris, telling Marie that he had passed her on the street, had found the letter, was unable to get it interpreted, and beg her to communicate with him at once. He placed the notice in the papers that afternoon. Received an invitation from some acquaintances in Paris to dine with them and go to a ball. He wanted to refuse the invitation because he did not feel equal to the occasion, but they insisted that it would do him good and begged him to come along. Robert had been so disappointed about the mysterious letter and the sudden loss of Marie after he had seen her, that he decided to say nothing about the incident to his friends. After dinner was over, they chatted with Robert, and he seemed more cheerful. They told Robert of the Aviators' Costume Ball to take place in the Hotel Lafayette that night and asked him to go along. Robert tried to beg off and made the excuse that he had no costume for this occasion, but they told him that they had already ordered one for him and there was no getting out of it--he had to go, so finally he consented.