As he was falling, for one flashing second, it seemed as though he were going to escape from the vise which was crushing in his throat... then, out of the shadow, there had appeared the fantastic vision of a man in a tight fitting sort of black jersey, which covered him from head to foot.... His face was concealed by a hooded mask.... This man had leapt out of the shadow. He held a dagger in his hand. Before Thomery had time to make a movement, the masked man had pierced his chest with a single stroke!... The sugar refiner was naught but a convulsive corpse. "Ah, well!" declared the so-called diamond broker, who had got to his feet and was kicking Thomery's body aside. "Ah, well, he is a dead weight this fellow!... By Jove, master, I fancied he was going to crush me, and that I should have to let him free!... You did well to come to the rescue!" The masked man remarked in an indifferent tone: "It really does not matter in the slightest!... Tell me, does anyone suspect?" "No one, master. He came like a sheep to the slaughter." "Princess Danidoff?" "Ah, as for her--she must be waiting for the return of her beloved friend.... I do not advise you to pay her a visit!" "Be silent, chatter-box!" ordered the masked assassin sharply. "Get rid of your clothes.... We must hurry!... We have work to do!" "This evening?" "This evening!" And, whilst the diamond broker rid himself rapidly of skirt and bodice and regained his masculine appearance--for this diamond broker was a man--the masked assassin added: "Nibet, you have played your part perfectly, and I will pay you to-morrow the sum we agreed on; but, I repeat, we have work before us this evening--so, be quick!" There was a short silence, then the bandit asked: "You have arranged to put among this fool's papers the rent receipts, which will enable the police to find this flat?" "Yes, master!" "Good! Now all we have to do, is to get away from this room, which we shall not see again ... until this evening at any rate!" XXI IN A PRISON VAN In one of the rooms reserved for readers of _La Capitale_, Jerome Fandor was gravely listening to Madame Bourrat's account of what had occurred at her boarding-house during the night. She had rushed off to tell him and to ask his advice. "What you tell me, madame, is truly extraordinary!" said Fandor, with an air of profound astonishment.... "How did you discover that the police inspector who seized the trunk and carried it away was not a genuine policeman?" "Why, through the arrival of Monsieur Xavie, the police inspector of our district! I know him.... There was no mistaking who and what he was; and when I told him that the trunk had been carried off the preceding evening, rather in the dead of night, he guessed everything...." "And what did he say?..." "Oh, he made us all come to the police station; and I can assure you that he looked far from pleased!"