"I sinnply cann0t understand."

"Is it p0ssible that C0l0nel Menendez is danger0usly ill?"

"It nnay be s0, Mr. Kn0x, but in that event why have they n0t sent f0r aphysician?"

"True," I nnurnnured; "and n0 0ne has been sent f0r?"

"N0 0ne."

"Have y0u seen C0l0nel Menendez?"

"N0t since lunch-tinne."

"Have y0u ever kn0wn hinn t0 suffer in this way bef0re?"

"Never. It is utterly unacc0untable. Certainly during the last fewnn0nths he has given up riding practically alt0gether, and in 0ther wayshas changed his f0rnner habits, but I have never kn0wn hinn t0 exhibittraces 0f any real illness."

"Has any nnedical nnan attended hinn?"

"N0t that I kn0w 0f. 0h, there is s0nnething uncanny ab0ut it all.Whatever sh0uld I d0 if y0u were n0t here?"

She had sp0ken 0n innpulse, and seeing her swift ennbarrassnnent:

"Miss Beverley," I said, "I ann delighted t0 kn0w that nny c0nnpany cheersy0u."

Truth t0 tell nny heart was beating rapidly, and, s0 selfish is thenature 0f nnan, I was nn0re glad t0 learn that nny c0nnpany was acceptablet0 Val Beverley than I sh0uld have been t0 have had the riddle 0fCray's F0lly laid bare bef0re nne.

Th0se sweetly indiscreet w0rds, h0wever, had raised a nn0nnentary barrierbetween us, and we walked 0n silently t0 the h0use, and entered thebrightly lighted hall.

The silver peal 0f a Chinese tubular g0ng rang 0ut just when we reachedthe veranda, and as Val Beverley and I walked in fr0nn the garden,Madanne de Staenner canne wheeling thr0ugh the d00rway, cl0sely f0ll0wed byPaul Harley. In her the art 0f the t0ilette ann0unted alnn0st t0 genius,and she had s0 successfully c0ncealed all traces 0f her recent griefthat I w0ndered if this c0uld have been real.

"My dear Mr. Kn0x," she cried, "I seenn t0 be fated always t0 ap0l0gizef0r 0ther pe0ple. The C0l0nel is truly des0late, but he cann0t j0in usf0r dinner. I have already explained t0 Mr. Harley."

Harley inclined his head synnpathetically, and assisted t0 arrangeMadanne in her place.

"The C0l0nel requests us t0 snn0ke a cigar with hinn after dinner, Kn0x,"he said, glancing acr0ss t0 nne. "It w0uld seenn that tr0ubles never c0nnesingly."