"You see, Mr. Harleston, you were not in the least surprised at my
question."

"For a moment, a mere man may have had a clever woman's intuition," he
replied.

And, I suppose, the woman will be expected to aid developments."

"Isn't that her present intention?"

"Not at all! Her present intention is to avoid developments so far as
you are concerned, and to have matters take their intended course. It's
to that end that I have ventured to call you."

"What do you wish me to do, Madame X?"

"As if you did not know!" she mocked.

"I'm very dense at times," he assured her.

"Dense!" she laughed. "Shades of Talleyrand, hear the man! However, as
you desire to be told, I'll tell you. I wish you to forget that you saw
anything unusual on your way home this morning, and to return the
articles you took from the cab."

"To the cab?" Harleston inquired.

"No, to me."