They called in Ripaldi and told him, "We will accept your services,
monsieur, and you can begin your search at once. In what direction do
you propose to begin?"

"Where has her mistress gone?"

"How do you know she has gone?"

"At least, she is no longer with us out there. Have you arrested her--or
what?"

"No, she is still at large, but we have our eye upon her. She has gone
to her hotel--the Madagascar, off the Grands Boulevards."

"Then it is there that I shall look for the maid. No doubt she preceded
her mistress to the hotel, or she will join her there very shortly."

"You would not make yourself known, of course? They might give you the
slip. You have no authority to detain them, not in France."

"I should take my precautions, and I can always appeal to the police."

"Exactly. That would be your proper course. But you might lose valuable
time, a great opportunity, and we wish to guard against that, so we
shall associate one of our own people with you in your proceedings."

"Oh! very well, if you wish. It will, no doubt, be best." The Italian
readily assented, but a shrewd listener might have guessed from the tone
of his voice that the proposal was not exactly pleasing to him.