Nenci was smoking a cigarette when they entered, but at sign of the Doctor at once extinguished it. "Have you given Gemma back her ring?" Malvano inquired as they sat down to work. The reason the Doctor always locked himself within that room was evident. He was making experiments in secret. "Yes; I gave it her just before dinner," the other answered. "You cleaned it--eh?" the Doctor said, with a grim smile. "Yes," the other replied briefly. "It seems a pity--a great pity!" Malvano exclaimed in a tone of regret. "Is there no other way?" "None," Nenci answered firmly. "She knows too much. Besides, I have suspicions." "Of what?" "That she may play us false," the sallow-faced man replied. "Remember, she still loves that man Armytage--the devil take him!" "Well," Malvano sighed, "it's the only way, I suppose; but it's hard-- very hard on a woman whose life has been wrecked as hers has." "Misericordia! My dear fellow," cried Nenci impatiently. "Surely you won't turn chicken-hearted after all this time? You've never shown the white feather yet." The doctor remained silent, and turning in his chair, bent over the small crucible beneath which the blue flame was burning; while his companion, casting a keen half-suspicious glance in his direction, also turned to the small vice fixed to his table and commenced work. A long time elapsed in almost complete silence, so intent were both on what they were doing. Once--only once--did Malvano refer again to the subject of Gemma's ring. "Is she actually wearing it now?" he inquired. "She did at dinner, I noticed," Nenci answered. "But whether she wears her rings at night, I don't know," he laughed. "Isn't it--well--dangerous?" "Dangerous! Not at all," his companion replied impatiently. "She suspects nothing, absolutely nothing." Again they lapsed into unbroken silence. Fully an hour went by, when Nenci rising, still in his shirt-sleeves, folded his arms, and exclaimed in a tone of satisfaction and confidence-- "At last, my dear fellow! I've worked it out completely. Failure has become absolutely impossible." Malvano, still seated in his chair, leaned back and contemplated with admiration the object which his companion had placed before him--an exquisite little marble bust of King Humbert of Italy. It was only about eighteen inches high, but a faithful and beautifully executed copy of that celebrated head by the renowned Pisan sculptor, Fontacchiotti, which is so prominent a figure in the centre of the great reception hall of the Quirinal at Rome. Plaster replicas of this bust can be bought everywhere throughout Italy for half a franc, and are to be found in most houses of the loyal, while larger ones stand in every court of justice. But this miniature reproduction before the Doctor was really an admirable work of art, one such as connoisseur would admire.