IfoundtheBaronwalkingupanddownhisbedroominapitiablestateofdistress，squeezinghishandstogether。Heassuredmehehadthefullestconfidenceinourpoliceandinmyabilities，buthehadthereamanjustcomeoverfromPariswhoseinformationcouldbetrustedimplicitly。Hewantedmetohearwhatthatmanhadtosay。Hetookmeatonceintoadressing—roomnextdoor，whereIsawabigfellowinaheavyovercoatsittingallaloneonachair，andholdinghishatandstickinonehand。TheBaronsaidtohiminFrench\"Speak，myfriend。\"Thelightinthatroomwasnotverygood。
Italkedwithhimforsomefiveminutesperhaps。Hecertainlygavemeapieceofverystartlingnews。ThentheBarontookmeasidenervouslytopraisehimuptome，andwhenIturnedroundagainIdiscoveredthatthefellowhadvanishedlikeaghost。Gotupandsneakedoutdownsomebackstairs，Isuppose。Therewasnotimetorunafterhim，asIhadtohurryoffaftertheAmbassadordownthegreatstaircase，andseethepartystartedsafefortheopera。However，Iactedupontheinformationthatverynight。
Whetheritwasperfectlycorrectornot，itdidlookseriousenough。VerylikelyitsavedusfromanuglytroubleonthedayoftheImperialvisittotheCity。
`Sometimelater，amonthorsoaftermypromotiontoChiefInspector，myattentionwasattractedtoabigburlyman，IthoughtIhadseensomewherebefore，comingoutinahurryfromajeweller’sshopintheStrand。Iwentafterhim，asitwasonmywaytowardsCharingCross，andthereseeingoneofourdetectivesacrosstheroad，Ibeckonedhimover，andpointedoutthefellowtohim，withinstructionstowatchhismovementsforacoupleofdaysandthenreporttome。Nolaterthannextafternoonmymanturneduptotellmethathefellowhadmarriedhislandlady’sdaughterataregistrar’sofficethatverydayat11。30a。m。，andhadgoneoffwithhertoMargateorweek。Ourmanhadseentheluggagebeingputonthecab。ThereweresomeoldParislabelsononeofthebags。SomehowIcouldn’tgetthefellowoutofmyhead，andtheverynexttimeIhadtogotoParisonserviceIspokeabouthimtothatfriendofmineintheParispolice。Myfriendsaid:\"FromwhatyoutellmeIthinkyoumustmeanaratherwell—knownhanger—onandemissaryoftheRevolutionaryRedCommittee。HesaysheisanEnglishmanbybirth。WehaveanideathathehasbeenforagoodfewyearsnowasecretagentofoneoftheforeignEmbassiesinLondon。\"Thiswokeupmymemorycompletely。HewasthevanishingfellowIsawsittingonachairinBaronStott—Wartenheim’sbathroom。Itoldmyfriendthathewasquiteright。Thefellowwasasecretagenttomycertainknowledge。
Afterwardsmyfriendtookthetroubletoferretoutthecompleterecordofthatmanforme。IthoughtIhadbetterknowalltherewastoknow;