The Inspector turned slightly on his heel as if he had heard quite sufficient.
"This ends the matter," he said. "I am sorry that Miss Harcourt has been molested and I will see that she is not further annoyed. I wish you good morning, sir."
The Inspector departed and at a sign from Lechmere, Jessie followed. Annette bowed demurely, but the smile on her face vanished and her eyes grew troubled as she found herself alone. Down in the street the newsboys were shouting something. Lechmere listened eagerly to hear:—
"Alarming railway accident near Paris. Breakdown of a special train. Suspected outrage on the part of the French Anarchists. Serious accident to the King of Asturia. Special."
CHAPTER XLII
THE COUNTESS RETURNS
Lechmere bought a paper and read the paragraph for himself. It seemed strange that this thing should happen at a time when everybody was talking of Asturia and its rulers. First there was the sensational interview in the Mercury to set all tongues talking and then, almost before the public had grasped what had happened, the Herald came out with a flat contradiction and a dignified statement to the effect that the Mercury had been hoaxed by an impudent practical joker.
Here was an excellent chance for the evening papers and they did their best to make a good thing of it. But the more things came to be investigated the firmer became the position of the Herald. Beyond all doubt the real king had been safe at Merehaven House at the very time when his deputy was closeted with the editor of the Mercury.