“But Mr. Delora has returned!” I exclaimed.  “His niece told me so herself.  He has returned, but he is very unwell—­confined to his room, I believe.”

“It is the story which has been agreed upon,” Louis answered.  “We were obliged to protect ourselves against the police and the newspaper people, but, nevertheless, it is not the truth.  Mr. Delora has not returned!”

“Does mademoiselle know that?” I asked quickly.

“She does not,” Louis admitted.  “She has been told exactly what she told you,—­that her uncle had returned, but that he was ill and must be kept quiet for a little time.  It was necessary that she should believe his room occupied, for reasons which you will understand later.  She shall be told the truth very soon.”

I was conscious of a distinct sense of relief.  The thought that she might have told me a falsehood had given me a sudden stab.

“Where is Mr. Delora, then?” I asked.

“That we can guess,” Louis said.  “We want you to go to him.”

“Very well, Louis,” I said.  “I am perfectly agreeable, only you must tell me who this Mr. Delora is, why he is in hiding, and who you mean when you say ’we’.”

“Monsieur,” Louis said, “if it rested with me alone I would tell you all these things.  I would give you our confidence freely, because we are a little company who trust freely when we are sure.  The others, however, do not know you as I know you, and I have the right to divulge only certain things to you.  Mr. Delora has come to this country on a mission of peculiar danger.  He has a secret in his possession which is of immense value, and there are others who are not our friends who know of it.  Mr. Delora had a signal at Charing Cross that there was danger in taking up his residence here.  That is why he slipped away quietly and is lying now in hiding.  If monsieur indeed desires an adventure, I could propose one to him.”

“Go ahead, Louis,” I said.

“Let it be understood that Mr. Delora has returned.—­As I have already told you, he has not returned.  The door of his room is locked, and no one is permitted to enter.  It is believed that to-night an attempt will be made to force a way into that room and to rob its occupant.”

“The room is empty, you say?  There is no one there?” I interrupted.

“Precisely, monsieur,” Louis said, “but if some one were there who was strong and brave it might be possible to teach a lesson to those who have played us false, and who have planned evil things!  If that some one were you, Captain Rotherby, we should consider—­Monsieur Decresson and the others would consider—­that your debt to them was paid!”