It was essential now to persuade my Lord Blackadder and his people
that this was the case, and induce them to embark upon a hasty
expedition into Italy.
I therefore concocted a cunning plan with l'Echelle for leading them
astray. It was easy enough to arrange for the despatch of a telegram
from Milan to me at Aix, a despatch to be handed in at the former
place by a friend of l'Echelle's, but purporting to come from Lady
Claire. My man had any number of acquaintances in the railway service,
one or more passed daily through Aix with the express trains going
east or west; and with the payment of a substantial douceur the trick
was done.
The spurious message reached me in Aix early on the third morning, and
the second act in the fraud was that l'Echelle should allow Falfani to
see the telegram. He carried out the deception with consummate skill,
pretending to pick my pocket of the telegram, which he then put under
Falfani's eyes. The third act was to be my immediate exit from Aix. I
made no secret of this, very much the reverse. Notice was given at the
hotel bureau to prepare my bill, and insert my name on the list of
departures by the afternoon express, the 1.
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