第32章

Where did she say she went to when she escaped to Brussels?""First to Ostend," replied the music-hall proprietor, "and then, when the general exodus took place from there, to her mother's country place near Lyons, a village called Sermoise-aux-Roses.""And what did she say her mother's name was?""Madame Blondinet, sir!"

The Frenchman rapped smartly on a little pocketbook which he had produced and now held open in his hand.

"There, is a Madame Blondinet who has a large farm near Sermoise-aux-Roses," he said, "and she has a daughter called Marcelle, who went to America.""Why then...?" began the First Sea Lord.

"Attendez un instant!"

The Colonel held up a plump hand.

"Unfortunately for Madame Nur-el-Din, this Marcelle Blondinet spent the whole of her childhood, in fact, the whole of her life until she was nineteen years of age, on her mother's farm at a time when this Marcelle Blondinet was touring Europe with The Seven Duponts. The evidence is absolute. Mademoiselle here heard the dancer herself confirm it last night!""Thank you, Mr. Samuel," said the Chief, "we shan't require you any more. But I'm afraid your Nur-el-Din will have to break her contract with you.""She's done that already, sir!" said Samuel ruefully.

The Chief sprang to his feet excitedly.

"Broken it already?" he cried. "What do you mean? Explain yourself! Don't stand there staring at me!"Mr. Samuel looked startled out of his life.

"There was a bit of a row between her and the stage manager last night about her keeping the stage waiting again," he said; "and after lunch today she rang up to say she would not appear at the Palaceum to-night or any more at all! It's very upsetting for us;and I don't mind telling you, gentlemen, that I've been to my solicitors about it...""And why the blazes didn't you come and tell me?" demanded the Chief furiously.

"Well, sir, I thought it was only a bit of pique on her part, and I hoped to be able to talk the lady round. I know what these stars are!""You've seen her then?" the Chief snapped out.

"No, I haven't!" Mr. Samuel lamented. "I've been twice to the Nineveh--that's where she's stopping--and each time she was out!"The Chief dismissed him curtly.

When the door had closed behind him, the Chief said to the First Sea Lord:

"This is where D.O.R.A. steps in, I think, sir!""Decidedly!" replied the Admiral. "Will you take the necessary steps"The Chief nodded and pressed the bell. Matthews appeared.

"Anything from the Nineveh?" he asked.

"The lady has not returned, sir!"

"Anything from Gordon and Duff?"

"No, sir, nothing all day!"

The telephone on the desk whirred. The Chief lifted the receiver.

"Yes. Oh, it's you, Gordon? No, you can say it now: this is a private line."He listened at the receiver for a couple of minutes. The room was very still.

"All right, come to the office at once!"

The Chief hung up the receiver and turned to the Admiral.

"She's given us the slip for the moment!" he said. "That was Gordon speaking. He and Duff have been shadowing our lady friend out of doors for days. She left the hotel on foot after lunch this afternoon with my two fellows in her wake. There was a bit of a crush on the pavement near Charing Cross and Duff was pushed into the roadway and run over by a motor-'bus. In the confusion Gordon lost the trail. He's wasted all this time trying to pick it up again instead of reporting to me at once.""Zut!" cried the Frenchman.