"They are unknown, and for the present must remain so. But if you doubt your peril, watch--" and taking the rusty fire-tongs from the grate he carefully placed them on end in front of the deep old armchair in which I had sat, and then allowed them to fall against the edge of the seat, springing quickly back as he did so. In an instant a bright blue flash shot through the place, and the irons fell aside, fused and twisted out of all recognition. I stood aghast, utterly unable for the moment to sufficiently realize how narrowly I had escaped death. "Look! See here, behind!" cried the Italian, directing my attention to the back legs of the chair, where, on bending with the lamp, I saw, to my surprise, that two wires were connected, and ran along the floor and out of the window, while concealed beneath the ragged carpet, in front of the chair, was a thin plate of steel, whereon my feet had rested. Those who had so ingeniously enticed me to that gloomy house of death had connected up the overhead electric light main with that innocent-looking chair, and from some unseen point had been able to switch on a current of sufficient voltage to kill fifty men. I stood stock-still, not daring to move lest I might come into contact with some hidden wire, the slightest touch of which must bring instant death upon me. "Your enemies prepared this terrible trap for you," declared the man who was once my trusted servant. "When I entered into the affair I was not aware that it was to be fatal. They gave me no inkling of their dastardly intention. But there is no time to admit of explanations now, signore," he added breathlessly, in a low desperate voice. "Say that you will not prejudge me," he pleaded earnestly. "I will not prejudge you until I've heard your explanation," I said. "I certainly owe my life to you to-night." "Then quick! Fly from this house this instant. If you are stopped, then use your revolver. Don't hesitate. In a moment they will be here upon you." "But who are they, Olinto? You must tell me," I cried in desperation. "_Dio!_ Go! Go!" he cried, pushing me violently towards the door. "Fly, or we shall both die--both of us! Run downstairs. I must make feint of dashing after you." I turned, and seeing his desperate eagerness, precipitately fled, while he ran down behind me, uttering fierce imprecations in Italian, as though I had escaped him. A man in the narrow dark passage attempted to trip me up as I ran, but I fired point blank at him, and gaining the door unlocked it, and an instant later found myself out in the street. It was the narrowest escape from death that I had ever had in all my life--surely the strangest and most remarkable adventure. What, I wondered, did it mean?