The first intimation of Johnstone's craft was the fact that Alan Hawke found he could not manage to see Madame Louison alone, even for a single moment.

There was a veiled surprise in her beautiful brown eyes, when the nabob led Hawke a few tables away for a conference in full view of the beauty, who was surrounded with a cloud of obsequious attendants.

"As we have but one hour, Madame, pray at once, order a repast for us all.

I must have a few words with Hawke." Johnstone was as smiling as a summer sea.
"We were delayed a day by my own private business," genially cried the nabob.

"What's new in Delhi ?" It was the crowning lie of Hawke's splendidly mendacious career when he carelessly said, "Nothing.