“It refers to that woman who has purchased the title, or has married it, or has procured it in some way that makes it hers, and gives her a right to use it—Countess Narnine.” “Juno,” said Nick. “Yes. That is the first name she claims. I never heard that it is hers, more than many of the others she has made use of in the past.” “In what way do you associate Turnieff with her? Why should any association with her by him give rise to suspicion against him?” “I have said that it does not amount to suspicion against him; only that I must search in every direction around me, Mr. Carter.” “Yes. I understand.” “Well, I will speak of the woman first before I refer to him in connection with her.” “Very well.” “Once upon a time, to my certain knowledge, that woman served Russia in the capacity of secret agent. On that occasion she was sent to Paris, in company with the father of Turnieff. There were strange things that happened there. The woman evidently sold out to others, although it could never be established that she did so—and actually she finally succeeded in proving the charge against another. You may rest assured that that other person died very suddenly—as she would have done, had she not established her innocence.” “I don’t go in for assassination, prince.” “Nor I. But sudden deaths happen frequently among traitors in the secret-agent business, nevertheless. The woman has been in the service of other countries since then, we have reason to think, although we do not know it. Just now she appears to have somehow succeeded to great wealth, and to be living on her income, which seems large. There is not a thing or a circumstance to disprove that view. Nevertheless, she is here, and there is no reason on earth why she should be here, unless it is in the interests of Siam.” “Well?” “She is cleverer than the cleverest. She is almost uncanny in her abilities and profound astuteness. While I haven’t a thing to bear me out in what I say, I haven’t a doubt on earth that she is, at this moment, a Siamese spy.” “And as such——” “Wait; I haven’t quite got to that yet. During that Paris experience of hers, to which I just now referred, when she was an aid to my friend Alexis Turnieff, the father of my military aide, he was killed. It was said that he shot himself. Circumstances surrounding the affair upheld that view of the matter; but those who knew the man personally knew then, and know now, that he was not the man to have taken his own life. He was the soul of honor and uprightness. A large fortune in cash and jewels disappeared at the time of his death, and was stolen—if it can be said that things are stolen when they are taken by the people to whom they really belong.