“Still,” continued the chief, “there was nothing against the woman. It could not even be established that she had been other than a friend and a companion of the rich prince. On that day when he killed himself—or was presumed to have done so—she had been with him in his library only a short time, and it was not until more than two hours after her departure that the body was discovered. “You wished to know what it was that brought her first to our attention; that was the circumstance.” “And the next one? What was that?” “It happened to be another victim—if I may use the term. This time it was an Austrian. We did not know till after his death that he was a spy in the service of Austria, but that developed later.” “Did the Austrian also kill himself?” “No; he was murdered in cold blood. But it happened more than an hour after he had parted with your Juno, and there was not a thing to connect her with the crime, save that she had been with him an hour previously—and that all his money and valuables had disappeared at the time of his death. He was killed while he was the occupant of a closed carriage in which they had been riding together; the carriage stopped at the door where she lived to put her down, and the driver testified that the man was alive after she left him. “He was a diplomatic agent, also; and, as in the other case, it was said that papers of great value, as well as other things, had disappeared from his person. “I could give you other incidents of the same sort, Carter, that have happened in her career. The police of St. Petersburg could do the same. Vienna, Berlin, and other centres of activity could each add a quota; and there you are. Now, I will ask you to read her _dossier_, and after that we will discuss her further, if you desire it.” The chief touched a button and gave a direction; and, presently, with an open volume before him, Nick withdrew into a corner and passed half an hour in studying what had been written down in it under the name of “The Leopard.” At the end of that time he closed the volume and drew his chair forward. “The _dossier_ tells me nothing new,” he said to the chief. “It gives me no further information than that already supplied by you, save that it goes into details rather more particularly.” “Exactly.” “I find that the part which interests me most is in that sentence already quoted, used by her in her rejection of the suit of the Duc de Luvois. I believe, chief, that I can establish the identity of the woman, through an agent of mine who is now in London. I think that I can do so, but I am not certain as yet.” “Then you will accomplish more than all my force has been able to do, Carter.” “Through an accident, believe me; not through lack of zeal, or because of deficient ability on the part of your men.” “That’s as it may be. Are you willing to tell me who you think she is?” “Unless you insist, I would rather keep that to myself until I am certain.”