BY ACCIDENT OR DESIGN The newcomer, who had presented himself now before Hunterleys and his wife, was a man of somewhat unusual appearance.

He was tall, thickly-built, his black beard and closely-cropped hair were streaked with grey, he wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and he carried his head a little thrust forward, as though, even with the aid of his glasses, he was still short-sighted.

He had the air of a foreigner, although his tone, when he spoke, was without accent.

He held out his hand a little tentatively, an action, however, which Hunterleys appeared to ignore.
"My dear Sir Henry!" he exclaimed.

"This is a surprise, indeed! Monte Carlo is absolutely the last place in the world in which I should have expected to come across you.