Her father grunted, and after congratulating me upon my escape, said:
“You had nothing to complain about regarding Titeroff, and the assistance he and Mayhew gave you—eh?”
“Nothing. Without them I could never have acted. Indeed, I could never have approached the Minister Petkoff.”
“Yes,” he remarked reflectively. “They’re both wily birds. Titeroff feathered his nest well when he was in Constantinople, and Mayhew is there because of a little bit of serious trouble in Genoa a couple of years ago. Of course you never mentioned my name—eh?”
“I only mentioned you as Mr. Goodwin—as you told me,” I replied.
He smiled.
“They remembered me, of course?”
“Yes, when I delivered your note of introduction to Titeroff, he at once made me welcome, and seemed much surprised that I was acquainted with his friend, Mr. Goodwin.”
It was now evident, as I had suspected, that the two men who were so eager to serve me were international crooks, and members of the great gang which Rayne controlled.
“Just describe the man Vassos as fully as you can,” urged Rayne.