“I had not thought of it; really. It had not occurred to me. Perhaps, after all, you had best keep away from her.” The detective laughed outright. “I observe, prince, that you do fear her. But I think that you need have no fear for me. I will confess to you that I have already seen her and know her. I have met her and talked with her, twice, in fact.” “You have?” “Yes; once in this country, when she happened to be a Mrs. Ledger Dinwiddie; once again in Paris—after that. But the fact remains that I can claim an old acquaintanceship with her, and that I do not think she will be inclined to deny it to me.” “Ah! That is good—perhaps.” “I think it is very good; for I entirely agree with you that she is in this city in the interests of Siam; that she has been sent here to discover your secrets; that she, and not the Delormes, husband and wife, engineered the theft of those papers—and that now she will be more eager than ever to get possession of the other half of them.” “Then you will seek her?” “I will.” “Beware of her, Mr. Carter.” “Forewarned is forearmed, you know, prince,” laughed the detective. “But that reminds me of something that I must say to you on that point.” “Well?” “I know the habits of you gentlemen, when a man like myself is engaged in your service. You have one of your regular spies watch that man. I will have none of that, prince. If I discover that it is done in my case—and I shall discover it if it is done—I will throw up your case on the instant, and have nothing more to do with it.” “It shall not be done, Mr. Carter, I promise you.” “Another thing: If you should get reports from any person that I seem to be worshiping at the shrine of the countess, along with Turnieff, you are to understand that it is a part of the game, and that I am doing it with my eyes wide open, although they may have the appearance of being closed all the time.” “I will understand.” “In the meantime let Turnieff continue as he has started out. Let him have his head and go as far as he likes. I may use him as a foil in what I intend to do.” “But you are going to probe into the life of that woman; eh?” “Yes; and so deeply that she will wince. So thoroughly that if she stole those documents we will recover possession of them; and that, too, very soon.” “I wish I could be assured of that, Mr. Carter.” CHAPTER XXVII. IN THE NET OF A SIREN. Nick Carter paused just inside the doorway. The scene before him was a resplendent one, and not to be duplicated in the city of Washington, so rumor had said; certainly, the hostess who presided over it all was not to be duplicated anywhere else in the world. For the scene upon which the detective looked was that of a formal function at the home of Countess Juno Narnine and the countess herself defied vocabularies, when an adequate description of her was sought.