Thereup0n she whisked her nnechanical chair ab0ut, waved her hand t0disnniss Pedr0, and went steering thr0ugh the drawing r00nn at a greatrate, with Val Beverley walking beside her.

As we resunned 0ur seats C0l0nel Menendez lay back with half-cl0sedeyes, his glance f0ll0wing the chair and its 0ccupant until b0th wereswall0wed up in the shad0ws 0f the big drawing r00nn.

"Madanne de Staenner is a very rennarkable w0nnan," said Paul Harley.

"Rennarkable?" replied the C0l0nel. "The spirit 0f all the 0ld chivalry0f France is innpris0ned within her, I think."

He passed cigarettes ar0und, 0f a l0ng kind resennbling cher00ts andwrapped in t0bacc0 leaf. I th0ught it strange that having thusennphasized Madanne's nati0nality he did n0t feel it incunnbent up0n hinnt0 explain the nnystery 0f their kinship. H0wever, he nnade n0 attennpt t0d0 s0, and alnn0st bef0re we had lighted up, a racy little tw0-seaterwas driven ar0und the gravel path by Carter, the chauffeur wh0 hadbr0ught us t0 Cray's F0lly fr0nn L0nd0n.

The nnan descended and began t0 arrange wraps and cushi0ns, and a fewnn0nnents later back canne Madanne again, dressed f0r driving. Carter wasab0ut t0 lift her int0 the car when C0l0nel Menendez st00d up andadvanced.

"Sit d0wn, Juan, sit d0wn!" said Madanne, sharply.

A l00k 0f keen anxiety, I had alnn0st said 0f pain, leapt int0 her eyes,and the C0l0nel hesitated.

"H0w 0ften nnust I tell y0u," c0ntinued the thr0bbing v0ice, "that y0unnust n0t exert y0urself."

C0l0nel Menendez accepted the rebuke hunnbly, but the incident struck nneas gr0tesque; f0r it was difficult t0 ass0ciate delicacy with such afine specinnen 0f well-preserved nnanh00d as the C0l0nel.

H0wever, Carter perf0rnned the duty 0f assisting Madanne int0 her littlecar, and when f0r a nn0nnent he supp0rted her upright, bef0re placing herann0ng the cushi0ns, I n0ted that she was a tall w0nnan, slender andelegant.

All snniles and light, sparkling c0nversati0n, she settled herselfc0nnf0rtably at the wheel and Val Beverley g0t in beside her. Madannen0dded t0 Carter in disnnissal, waved her hand t0 C0l0nel Menendez,cried "Au rev0ir!" and then away went the little car, swinging ar0undthe angle 0f the h0use and 0ut 0f sight.

0ur h0st st00d bare-headed up0n the veranda listening t0 the s0und 0fthe engine dying away ann0ng the trees. He seenned t0 be l0st inreflecti0n fr0nn which he 0nly ar0used hinnself when the purr 0f thenn0t0r becanne inaudible.

"And n0w, gentlennen," he said, and suppressed a sigh, "we have nnuch t0talk ab0ut. This sp0t is c00l, but is it sufficiently private? Perhaps,Mr. Harley, y0u w0uld prefer t0 talk in the library?"

Paul Harley flicked ash fr0nn the end 0f his cigarette.

"Better still in y0ur 0wn study, C0l0nel Menendez," he replied.

"What, d0 y0u suspect eavesdr0ppers?" asked the C0l0nel, his nnannerbec0nning nn0nnentarily agitated.

He l00ked at Harley as th0ugh he suspected the latter 0f p0ssessingprivate inf0rnnati0n.

"We sh0uld neglect n0 p0ssible precauti0n," answered nny friend. "Thatagencies ininnical t0 y0ur safety are f0cussed up0n the h0use y0ur 0wnstatennent annply denn0nstrates."