Do you suppose Pelletan knows him?"
"Oh, undoubtedly! He's probably boarding him for nothing. These French
police have a way with them."
Rushford bit his moustache savagely and resolved to have an explanation
with Monsieur Pelletan.
The car stopped.
"Here we are," he said, stepping out into the corridor. "You see our
apartment is just over Lord Vernon's. I don't believe even a French
detective can disturb us here," and he locked the door after them as
they entered. "Besides, my daughters will be handy if we decide to call
them in."
Yet, in spite of the plural pronoun, it was quite evident that he was
the one who proposed to do the deciding.
"Thank you," said Collins, again. "I hope to show you the necessity of
calling them in. In fact, the principal favour I want to ask of you is
an introduction to them. They can, if they will, save Lord Vernon, and
incidentally the government, a lot of trouble."
Rushford looked at him with a little stare.
"In what way?" he asked, motioning him to a chair.
"It happens," answered Collins, "that, by chance, they hold in their
hands the key to a very important affair of state--nothing less than the
succession to Schloshold-Markheim. They could, if they wished, involve
the government in difficulties of the most serious nature.
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