He was examining it at the time he
died. What the other man was doing, we do not know, but if we could
identify him, it might help us."
"You have not identified him?"
"We know nothing whatever about him, except that he was presumably a
Frenchman, and that he arrived on _La Touraine_, two days ago."
"That is the boat upon which I came over."
"It has occurred to me, madame, that you may have seen him--that he
may even be known to you."
"What was his name?"
"The card he sent in to Mr. Vantine bore the name of Theophile
d'Aurelle."
She shook her head.
"I have never before heard that name, Mr. Lester."
"We believe it to have been an assumed name," I said; "but perhaps
you will recognise this photograph," and I drew it from my pocket and
handed it to her.
She took it, looked at it, and again shook her head. Then she looked
at it again, turning aside and raising her veil in order to see it
better.
"There seems to be something familiar about the face," she said, at
last, "as though I might have seen the man somewhere."
"On the boat, perhaps," I suggested, but I knew very well it was not
on the boat, since the man had crossed in the steerage.
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