"Yes, indeed! You cannot imagine how evilly disposed to you are those among whom you find yourself. Indeed, they have threatened to take your life." What does she mean? Will she scare him away from the field of his labours, so that intimidated by her words, he returns to Vienna? Or has she measured her man, and seen that he is to be best caught by seeking to divert him from his purpose? And does she know that for such a one, the most powerful enticement of all will be to seek to turn him from his goal? Ráby responded to the signal that his hostess made him, to come closer; nay, he took the fan she held, and fanned her and himself with it. "That is splendid; why it will make my stay here quite a romantic experience," he said. "You will rue it, however, and expose yourself to a thousand dangers which you have not the power to withstand. I see you are confident of your strength. But if you had to fight with someone, would it not disquiet you to know your adversary was an excellent shot. Suppose the moment you entered the field, someone whispered to you: 'Be on your guard; your second is in league with your opponent, he has placed no bullets in your pistol.' Would you not, in such a case, refuse to fight?" "But the case is quite unthinkable." "So you deem it. But to prove to you, that I am not seeking, as your enemies would have me do, to try and entangle you in my net, I will tear asunder the snare already closing round you, and show you something which shall enlighten you once and for all." She went to her writing-table and took out of a drawer a letter. "Say, do you know this handwriting?" "Very well, it is that of the district commissioner." "The note was addressed to me, in order to awaken no suspicion. Please read it." It was the letter which the district commissioner had written at the theatre. As he read it, Ráby fairly crimsoned with wrath. He was thunderstruck to find that his official chief, who had promised to support his mission, should have a secret understanding with those whom he was pledged to punish. Whom should he trust, if this was the state of things? "Now will you not fly?" said Fräulein Fruzsinka. Her words urged him to go, but her eyes held him back. "No, indeed! now will I remain," cried Ráby impetuously, as he rose to go. And as if to prove that he had determined to do and dare all, he hastily seized her hand and raised it passionately to his lips. And she did not withdraw hers, but vehemently returned its pressure, as if to say: "This is the man I have long been looking for!" "Leave me now," she whispered; but her eyes seemed to say, "Come again, soon!" Mathias Ráby knew now that fate had led him to a kindred soul at last! CHAPTER XIV. Were this story a romance pure and simple, it would suffice to tell that Fräulein Fruzsinka had fire in her eyes, and Mr. Mathias but a heart of wax, that, consequently, when they met, the one melted the other.