CHAPTER II
"This is the luggage porter, sir," Duson announced. "He is prepared toanswer any questions."
The man took out his book. Mr. Sabin, who was sitting in an easy-chair,turned sideways towards him.
"The Duchess of Souspennier was staying here last week," he said. "Sheleft, I believe, on Thursday or Friday. Can you tell me whether herbaggage went through your hands?"
The man set down his hat upon a vacant chair, and turned over the leavesof his book.
"Guess I can fix that for you," he remarked, running his forefingerdown one of the pages. "Here we are. The Duchess left on Friday, andwe checked her baggage through to Lenox by the New York, New Haven &Hartford."
Mr. Sabin nodded.
"Thank you," he said. "She would probably take a carriage to thestation. It will be worth another ten dollars to you if you can find methe man who drove her."
"Well, we ought to manage that for you," the man remarked encouragingly."It was one of Steve Hassell's carriages, I guess, unless the lady tooka hansom."
"Very good," Mr. Sabin said. "See if you can find him. Keep my inquiriesentirely to yourself. It will pay you."
"That's all right," the man remarked. "Don't you go to bed forhalf-an-hour, and I guess you'll hear from me again."
Duson busied himself in the bed-chamber, Mr. Sabin sat motionless inhis easy chair. Soon there came a tap at the door. The porter reappearedushering in a smart-looking young man, who carried a shiny coachman'shat in his hand.
"Struck it right fust time," the porter remarked cheerfully. "This isthe man, sir."
Mr. Sabin turned his head.
"You drove a lady from here to the New York, New Haven & Hartford Depotlast Friday?" he asked.
"Well, not exactly, sir," the man answered. "The Duchess took my cab,and the first address she gave was the New York, New Haven &Hartford Depot, but before we'd driven a hundred yards she pulled thecheck-string and ordered me to go to the Waldorf. She paid me there, andwent into the hotel."
"You have not seen her since?"
"No, sir!"
"You knew her by sight, you say. Was there anything special about herappearance?"
The man hesitated.
"She'd a pretty thick veil on, sir, but she raised it to pay me, and Ishould say she'd been crying. She was much paler, too, than last time Idrove her."
"When was that?" Mr. Sabin asked.
"In the spring, sir,--with you, begging your pardon. You were at theNetherlands, and I drove you out several times."
"You seem," Mr. Sabin said, "to be a person with some powers ofobservation. It would pay you very well indeed if you would ascertainfrom any of your mates at the Waldorf when and with whom the lady inquestion left that hotel."
"I'll have a try, sir," the man answered. "The Duchess was better knownhere, but some of them may have recognised her."
"She had no luggage, I presume?" Mr. Sabin asked.
"Her dressing-case and jewel-case only, sir."
"So you see," Mr. Sabin continued, "it is probable that she did notremain at the Waldorf for the night. Base your inquiries on thatsupposition."
"Very good, sir."
"From your manners and speech," Mr. Sabin said, raising his head, "Ishould take you to be an Englishman."
"Quite correct, sir," the man answered. "I drove a hansom in London foreight years."
"You will understand me then," Mr. Sabin continued, "when I say that Ihave no great confidence in the police of this country. I do not wishto be blackmailed or bullied. I would ask you, therefore, to make yourinquiries with discretion."
"I'll be careful, sir," the man answered.
Mr. Sabin handed to each of them a roll of notes. The cabdriver lingeredupon the threshold. Mr. Sabin looked up.
"Well?"
"Could I speak a word to you--in private, sir?"
Mr. Sabin motioned Duson to leave the room. The baggage porter hadalready departed.
"When I cleaned out my cab at night, sir, I found this. I didn't reckonit was of any consequence at first, but from the questions you have beenasking it may be useful to you."
Mr. Sabin took the half-sheet of note-paper in silence. It was theordinary stationery of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and the followingwords were written upon it in a faint delicate handwriting, but inyellow pencil:--
"Sept. 10th. "To LUCILLE, Duchesse de SOUSPENNIER.-- "You will be at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in the main corridor at four o'clock this afternoon."
The thin paper shook in Mr. Sabin's fingers. There was no signature,but he fancied that the handwriting was not wholly unfamiliar to him. Helooked slowly up towards the cabman.
"I am much obliged to you," he said. "This is of interest to me."
He stretched out his hand to the little wad of notes which Duson hadleft upon the table, but the cabdriver backed away.
"Beg pardon, sir," he said. "You've given me plenty. The letter's of novalue to me. I came very near tearing it up, but for the peculiar colourpencil it's written with. Kinder took my fancy, sir."
"The letter is of value," Mr. Sabin said. "It tells me much more than Ihoped to discover. It is our good fortune."
The man accepted the little roll of bills and departed. Mr. Sabintouched the bell.
"Duson, what time is it?"
"Nearly midnight, sir!"
"I will go to bed!"
"Very good, sir!"
"Mix me a sleeping draught, Duson. I need rest. See that I am notdisturbed until ten o'clock to-morrow morning."