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At first I was not able to recognize them, but as we ascended the steps to the pavilion, I was able to grasp the real facts of the case. "Good Heavens!" I muttered to myself, "that's Kitwater's voice." Then turning to Leglosse, I whispered, "We're too late, they're here before us."
At last there was a clatter of feet, the bolts shot back, the key turned in the lock, and the door opened. A man carrying a lantern entered, followed by two others, and as the light fell upon his face, I uttered a cry of astonishment, for he was none other than my old friend Leglosse, while behind him was the infallible Lepallard. "Well, thank goodness we have found you at last," cried Leglosse.
She was invariably kind and thoughtful; she deferred to me on everything, and seemed to think my opinions and actions must of necessity be right. Apart from that I felt certain I had made no other impression upon her. "Now, mon ami," said Leglosse, when we had installed ourselves at our hotel, "I think it would be better that you should efface yourself for a time.
Still if you desire to come, it's not for me to gainsay your wishes. We will arrange therefore that, unless you decide to the contrary in the meantime, you accompany us by the 8.50 train to-morrow morning." "I thank you," she said. A few moments later Leglosse returned with the information that it was as we suspected.
"Courage, courage, Miss Kitwater," I said, seeing that she was trembling. "Try not to be frightened. There is nothing to fear." Then turning to Leglosse, I added "Miss Kitwater has decided to accompany us to Naples. As a matter of fact my position in the case has undergone a change since I last saw you." He looked from one to the other of us as if in astonishment. "What do you mean?" he asked.
I will let you know in less than an hour what I have discovered." I thanked him, whereupon he bowed to Miss Kitwater, and then disappeared. "Monsieur Leglosse is also in pursuit of Hayle," I explained. "He holds a warrant for his arrest on a charge of embezzlement in Cochin China. For that reason we are following him to Naples to-morrow morning." "To Naples. Has the wretched man gone there?"
No! what we must do is to communicate with the Palermo police: Leglosse can show them his warrant, and then we must endeavour to get Hayle under lock and key, and then out of the island, without waste of time. That is the best course, believe me." "If all goes well, I shall make the arrest to-night," said Leglosse, and then added, "I must get back to Paris as soon as possible."
There is a bit of risk attached to it, but if we want to catch him we must not think of that." We accordingly interviewed the agent and placed the case before him. We told him who we were, and Leglosse explained to him that he held a warrant for the arrest of one Gideon Hayle, an individual whom he had every reason to believe was endeavouring to escape under the assumed name of Henry Gifford.
I tried to do this, but she saw through my endeavour. "You are going to arrest him, I can see," she said. "Poor unhappy man! But there, I would rather that should happen than he and my uncle should meet. Go, Mr. Fairfax, and I pray God you may be successful." Leglosse had already engaged a cab, and when I joined him I discovered that he had also brought a Sicilian police official with him.
What's worse, we've wasted four precious days waiting for this message. What shall we do now?" "Look for him elsewhere," said Leglosse. "If he didn't go by that boat, he might have left by another." We thanked the agent for his courtesy, and were about to leave the office when another telegram was handed in.
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