Added to Irene's veiled warning that all was not well on board, this
apparent tampering with his correspondence bore an ugly look. It almost
suggested that the Baron feared he was what the London inquiry agent
had asked him to become--the paid spy of Alfieri. He wondered what hold
the Italian had on the man. Now that he was able to examine recent
events in perspective, he saw that von Kerber had traveled alone from
London with the hope of throwing off his track any one who was watching
him--and had failed. It was evident, too, that neither Mr. Fenshawe nor
his granddaughter, nor Mrs. Haxton for that matter, took pains to keep
their whereabouts unknown, because Dick had seen an announcement of the
_Aphrodite's_ cruise in a London newspaper brought on board by the
pilot. Von Kerber's name was not mentioned, but the others were
described briefly, the reference to Mrs. Haxton being that she was "a
_persona grata_ in Anglo-Egyptian society." Why, then, did the Austrian
demand such secrecy from the yacht's crew, and be so perturbed by the
advent of a letter addressed to one of them? But Royson's disposition
was far too happy-go-lucky to permit of serious ponderings on other
people's business.
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