and his witnesses would immediately return to France; they would there prove to the satisfaction of their employers that they had served the judgment on M. Zola personally, and they would be able to snap their fingers at English lawyers should the latter complain that the thrusting of a document into a man’s hand under such circumstances was a technical assault.  They would have gained their point.  Judgment would have been served, and in accordance with French law M. Zola would be called upon to enter an appearance against it at Versailles.

‘Things must largely depend,’ concluded Wareham, ’on whether French law allows process to be served on a subject out of the jurisdiction.  And that is a point rather for French legal advisers than for me.  Still I shall look into the matter further; and if at the same time Maitre Labori can be communicated with and can supply his opinion on the question, so much the better.  I now raise the point because it seems the crux of the whole matter, and if it goes against us it is certain that M. Zola ought to remain in close retirement.  For the present it is as well that he should run as little risk as possible.’

M. Zola acquiesced in the suggestion of writing to his French counsel on the point which had been raised; and the conversation then went on in the same low tone that had been preserved from the outset.

On entering the smoking-room we had found it deserted, but whilst Wareham was speaking a couple of gentlemen had come in.  One, I remember, was an elderly, florid man, with mutton-chop whiskers and a buff waistcoat, who took his stand beside the fireplace at the further end of the room and puffed away at a big cigar.  He looked inoffensive enough, and paid no attention to us.  But the other, a middle-aged individual, tall and slim, with military moustaches, eyed us very keenly, changed his position two or three times, and finally installed himself in a chair, whence, while trifling with a cigarette, he commanded a good view of M. Zola’s face.  Desmoulin, I think, was the first to notice this, and to call the novelist’s attention to it.  Zola then shifted his position, and the military looking gentleman soon did the same.  At last, doubtless having satisfied his curiosity, he left the room, not, however, without a sharp, comprehensive survey of our party as he passed us on his way out.

I do not now exactly remember how it happened that Wareham was not received in the ‘dungeon,’ instead of the smoking-room.  The choice of the latter apartment was unfortunate.  I have no doubt that, if some of the newspapers were, a day or two afterwards, able to state that M. Zola was staying at the Grosvenor Hotel, it was through certain remarks made by the inquisitive military looking gentleman to whom I have referred.

On the other hand his curiosity exercised decisive influence over M. Zola’s subsequent movements.  He had hitherto been rather chary of accepting Wareham’s hospitality, for fear lest he should inconvenience him.  But the offer now being renewed was promptly accepted, and it was agreed that I should take both Messrs. Zola and Desmoulin to Wimbledon that evening.