“From his constituents, nothing. From you, everything. That he doubtless guessed at once.” “Oh! _Mon Dieu_! All that trouble for such a trifle! A mere bagatelle of forty thousand francs. That cursed baccarat! But Lichtenbach never plays, except on the Bourse. And there he always wins!” “Question!” “Ah! Can he, too, be cursed with bad luck?” “We are now doing our best to arrange matters so that he may have nothing but good luck!” “The powder affair?” “Yes. Listen, what is that?” A sound was heard outside. Taking from a cupboard a small revolver, she slipped it into her pocket, and said—“Are you armed?” “I am always armed. What are you afraid of?” “Wait!” In the silence a curious whistling sound was heard. Sophia’s features relaxed. “It is Hans!” A rapid step was heard on the sand of the alley. The door of the salon opened, and Milona made her appearance, followed by the colossus. He was still clothed in his mean-looking fisher’s costume. Flinging his hat on the ground, he removed his blouse and his huge shoes, without the slightest thought of Sophia’s presence, and exclaimed— “Milo, my clothes.” Placing on the table a glass recipient and a sheet of paper, he said, with a grimace— “Here it is!” “Then you have succeeded at last?” Sophia and Cesare approached with a kind of respect, and saw through the jar the brownish shavings of the powder which had already cost so much blood! “Yes, here it is! This small phial and this piece of paper again represent the life of a man.” “You were surprised in the act?” “Yes. And I have killed again.” “Who is the victim this time?” exclaimed Sophia, pale as death. “Do not alarm yourself, my dear; it is not your turtledove.” _He_ gave Cesare a glance, which immediately put the Italian on the alert. His light, careless attitude disappeared, and a cold, hard look came into his face. “It was a troublesome fellow I have had on my track for several days,” continued Hans. “A Government spy. It was not the first time we had met, either. He almost caught me three years ago at Lyons, in the affair of the Sergeant-Major. I took good note of him at the time, and his account is now settled!” “But will his murder not be discovered?” “What then? We must clear off at once; the authorities never trouble about detectives, that you know very well. This one will undergo a curing process, with his broken head, in the river, until he is fished out. Meanwhile, we shall be on the other side of the frontier.” Milona entered, carrying a suit of elegant-looking clothes, a grey felt hat, and yellow shoes. Unceremoniously, Hans dressed himself. “The cabman is at the door. Did he see you enter?” asked Sophia.