"I'll introduce you when I have a chance," I said. "Our congratulations are mutual. You are to have a husband; I have already a wife." "I hope you'll find the Biblical quotation correct," she laughed, peering at me over her gauzy fan. "Do you know the words?" "No," I replied, "I'm not good at remembering quotations." "Well, the Bible says, `Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing.' I hope you'll be no exception to that rule." "Thanks," I replied. "I don't know what it says about husbands, but, however it may be worded, you have my heartiest wishes for long life and good luck." At that instant Ella, on the arm of a young Italian marquis, possessed of a longer title than his rent-roll, entered. I sprang up at once and introduced her, and soon we all four were chatting merrily. When, a quarter of an hour later, we rose to return to the ballroom, Ella, radiant and happy, walked beside me. In reply to my question, she declared that she was enjoying herself immensely, but as we were re-entering the _salon_ she clutched my arm, and in a half-frightened whisper exclaimed,-- "Look! Geoffrey. Look at that servant in uniform over there. Why, it's our man, Helmholtz!" I glanced in the direction she had indicated, and sure enough there was the detective Renouf, who, in the Laing household, posed as Carl Helmholtz, in the handsome blue-and-gold livery of the Embassy, handing an ice to a lady. Instantly I grasped the situation. "It is a striking resemblance, dearest," I said; "nothing more." "But I'm certain it's Helmholtz," she declared excitedly. "Take me closer to him." "When we were at Pont Street this afternoon, Helmholtz was there, wasn't he?" "Yes. He brought tea into the drawing-room." "Well, no doubt he is at home now. This fellow may be his brother, or something." For a moment we stood watching, and saw him make a servile bow. Fortunately he turned his back upon us, hastening to execute some command, otherwise he must have come towards us and met us face to face. "I'm certain it is Helmholtz," Ella exclaimed, in a tone of conviction. "Without doubt it is a very striking resemblance," I admitted. "But the servants of an Embassy are not recruited from the nearest registry office. Besides, they would never employ a German here." At that moment Paul approached and claimed her for the next dance, while I wandered on alone amid the crowd, my mind full of strange thoughts. Presently, while watching the dancers, I chanced to glance aside and recognised a sparse, well-known figure approaching. It was the Earl of Warnham. Attired in plain evening dress of a rather antiquated cut, he wore no decorations, save the broad blue ribbon across his narrow strip of shirt-front, the highest honour his Sovereign had bestowed upon him. I was surprised to find him there, for I had believed him to be at Osborne in attendance on Her Majesty.