I sat staring at the official, too amazed to utter a word.  Certainly they had not allowed the grass to grow beneath their feet.

“Unfortunately the telegraphic replies from England are only to hand this morning,” he went on, “because just before two o’clock this morning the harbor police, whom I specially ordered to watch the vessel, saw a boat come to the wharf containing a man and woman.  The pair were put ashore, and walked away into the town, the woman seeming to walk with considerable difficulty.  The boat returned, and an hour after, to the complete surprise of the two detectives, steam was suddenly got up and the yacht turned and went straight out to sea.”

“Leaving the man and the woman?”

“Leaving them, of course.  They are probably still in the town.  The police are now searching for traces of them.”

“But could not you have detained the vessel?” I suggested.

“Of course, had I but known I could have forbidden her departure.  But as her owner had presented himself at the Consulate, and was recognized as a respectable person, I felt that I could not interfere without some tangible information—­and that, alas! has come too late.  The vessel is a swift one, and has already seven hours start of us.  I’ve asked the Admiral to send out a couple of torpedo-boats after her, but, unfortunately, this is impossible, as the flotilla is sailing in an hour to attend the naval review at Spezia.”

I told him how the Consul’s safe had been opened during the night, and he sat listening with wide-open eyes.

“You dined with them last night,” he said at last.  “They may have surreptitiously stolen your keys.”

“They may,” was my answer.  “Probably they did.  But with what motive?”

The Captain of the Port elevated his shoulders, exhibited his palms, and declared—­

“The whole affair from beginning to end is a complete and profound mystery.”

CHAPTER II

WHY THE SAFE WAS OPENED

That day was an active one in Questura, or police office, of Leghorn.

Detectives called, examined the safe, and sagely declared it to be burglar-proof, had not the thieves possessed the key.  The Foreign Office knew that, for they supply all the safes to the Consulates abroad, in order that the precious ciphers shall be kept from the prying eyes of foreign spies.  The Questore, or chief of police, was of opinion that it was the ciphers of which the thieves had been in search, and was much relieved to hear that they were in safekeeping far away in Downing Street.

His conjecture was the same as my own, namely, that the reason of Hornby’s call upon me was to ascertain the situation of the Consulate and the whereabouts of the safe, which, by the way, stood in a corner of the Consul’s private room.  Captain Mackintosh, too, had taken his bearings, and probably while I sat at dinner on board the Lola my keys had been stolen and passed on to the scarred Scotsman, who had promptly gone ashore and ransacked the place while I had remained with his master smoking and unsuspicious.