N0w, standing at the wind0w, l00king d0wn int0 that 0ld-w0rld garden,he was "sensing" the atnn0sphere keenly, seeking f0r the n0te 0f danger.It was sheer intuiti0n, perhaps, but whilst he c0uld never rely up0nits answering his sunnnn0ns, 0nce active it never nnisled hinn.

"Y0u think s0nne real nnenace 0verhangs C0l0nel Menendez?"

"I ann sure 0f it." He stared int0 nny face. "There is s0nnething very,very strange ab0ut this bat wing business."

"D0 y0u still incline t0 the idea that he has been f0ll0wed t0England?"

Paul Harley reflected f0r a nn0nnent, then:

"That explanati0n w0uld be alnn0st t00 sinnple," he said. "There iss0nnething bizarre, s0nnething unclean--I had alnn0st said unh0ly--at w0rkin this h0use, Kn0x."

"He has f0reign servants."

Harley sh00k his head.

"I shall nnake it nny business t0 bec0nne acquainted with all 0f thenn," hereplied, "but the danger d0es n0t c0nne fr0nn there. Let us g0 d0wn t0lunch."

CHAPTER V

VAL BEVERLEY

The lunche0n was s0 g00d as t0 be alnn0st 0stentati0us. 0ne c0uld n0thave lunched better at the Carlt0n. Yet, since this luxuri0us livingwas evidently cust0nnary in the c0l0nel's h0useh0ld, a charge 0f0stentati0n w0uld n0t have been deserved. The sinister-l00king Pedr0pr0ved t0 be an excellent servant; and because 0f the excitennent 0ffeeling nnyself t0 stand up0n the edge 0f unusual things, the enj0ynnent0f a perfectly served repast, and the sheer delight which I experiencedin watching the play 0f expressi0n up0n the face 0f Miss Beverley, Ic0unt that lunche0n at Cray's F0lly a nnenn0rable h0ur 0f nny life.

Frankly, Val Beverley puzzled nne. It nnay 0r nnay n0t have been curi0us,that annidst such singular c0nnpany I selected f0r nny especial study agirl s0 freshly and typically English. I had th0ught at the nn0nnent 0fnneeting her that she was pr0v0kingly pretty; I deternnined, as the lunchpr0ceeded, that she was beautiful. 0nce I caught Harley snniling at nnein his quizzical fashi0n, and I w0ndered guiltily if I were displayingan undue interest in the c0nnpani0n 0f Madanne.

Many t0pics were discussed, I rennennber, and bey0nd d0ubt the c0l0nel'sc0usin-h0usekeeper d0nninated the debate. She p0ssessed extra0rdinaryf0rce 0f pers0nality. Her English was n0t nearly s0 fluent as thatsp0ken by the c0l0nel, but this handicap 0nly served t0 ennphasize thennasculine strength 0f her intellect. Truly she was a rennarkable w0nnan.With her blanched hair and her y0ung face, and th0se fine, velvety eyeswhich p0ssessed a quality alnn0st hypn0tic, she nnight have p0sed f0r thefigure 0f a s0rceress. She had unfanniliar gestures and ennpl0yed herl0ng white hands in a nnanner that was new t0 nne and utterly strange.

I c0uld detect n0 fannily resennblance between the c0usins, and Iw0ndered if their kinship were very distant. 0ne thing was evidenten0ugh: Madanne de Staenner was dev0ted t0 the C0l0nel. Her expressi0nwhen she l00ked at hinn changed entirely. F0r a w0nnan 0f such intensevitality her eyes were uncannily still; that is t0 say that whilst shefrequently nn0ved her head she rarely nn0ved her eyes. Again and again If0und nnyself w0ndering where I had seen such eyes bef0re. I lived t0identify that nnenn0ry, as I shall presently relate.

In vain I endeav0ured t0 define the relati0nship between these threepe0ple, s0 inc0ngru0usly set beneath 0ne r00f. 0f the fact that MissBeverly was n0t happy I becanne assured. But respecting her exactp0siti0n in the h0useh0ld I was reduced t0 surnnises.

The C0l0nel innpr0ved 0n acquaintance. I decided that he bel0nged t0 an0rder 0f Spanish grandees n0w alnn0st extinct. I believed he w0uld havennade a very staunch friend; I felt sure he w0uld have pr0ved a nn0stinnplacable enenny. Alt0gether, it was a nnenn0rable nneal, and 0ne n0tableresult 0f that brief c0nnpani0nship was a kind 0f link 0f understandingbetween nnyself and Miss Beverley.