MYSTERIES OF THE NIGHT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9304, 3 August 1908, Page 4

MYSTERIES OF THE NIGHT.

<By. MR and MRS 0. N. WIL- • .;.-■..■< LIAMSUK.) . .-' . No. VII. THE; PURLOfNED TREATY. :.; XAXi. Rights Resebv«d.} The friendship between Lord Power *nd Sir Morley Grant, tho Homo Secretary, had grown warmer since tho Adventure of the Watch in tho. Shagreen Case. Sir Morley was married now to •ho beautiful Mollio Wainwright, and to-day Power was to breakfast with the ©ewly-marricd pair at their house in i Berkeley. Square. When, he arrived, ?ower was requested to wait, as Sir tforley was engaged, and five # minutes ater a footman came to ask him to go o thg 1 Homo Secretary m his stuay. Power followed; and was surprised to tnd the Foreign Secretary closeted with bis host. Grant immediately introduced him, and both statesmen scanned rower with keenly esrutinising eyes. The . gravity of their faces suggested that eorious businees was being discussed. " Power." began the Homo Secretary ifc once, "I have told Lord Sevenoaks hat you are the very man we want. I lavo said that you are absolutely to bo lepended on ; that you are brave, refrourceful, discreet and adventurous. Can. we count on you for a service that )nust be performed at once, in which wo tan not employ any of cur usual agents?" Power flushed at the praises of his friend j & n 'l threw him a grateful glance. . " You may count on me for mythinoj in my power to carry out." he answered, simply 7 . Lord Sevenoaks glanced round the rooiu, lowered his voice, aud leant forjnrard in his chair. " What we want you to do," he said, ** is to go at once to Paris, as the teaser of ah important paper. Wo will pave no eecrets from you, Lord Power, tince you are good enough to come to our lelp'/' he went on, after a momentary bause ; " the paper in question is the MJtual treaty between France and Rus- )!»._• Tho whole world has known for. long. that such an instrument existed, out up till a few hours ago all cur efforts to discover its exact terms have been unavailing. Here it is." Ho drew from the breast-pocket of his frock-coat, a folded yellow parchment. Power's c3 r es were fascinated at the right of this document. His imagination leaped forward to comprehend Vll that was involved in the writing on those rustling, yellow pages — the jrorld's peace, a holocaust of lives, the pouring out of treasure inexhaustible, a new map of Europe, consequences that would shake the world, and mould the lives of unborn millions as long as the planet should endure. All these things might flow from the precise diplomatic phrases, traced by a clerk on a piece of sheepskin, to which four elderly gentlemen had signed their names. And now another elderly gentleman, with a florid, English face, and ftrim side-whiskers, sat in a room in feerkeley Square, tapping against his trail-trimmed finger-nails this document With potentialities more deadly than fiynamite. . ' : "The treaty has come into our posvossion by somewhat curious means," Lord Sevenoaks continued. "We >aye in Paris, as one of our agents^ the beautiful Alesia Somoff " '; " Mile Sombff !" interrupted Power. "Why, I know her well 1 She moves )n the' best' political society. I have Inet her- -at the Elvsee. Mile Somoif » spy'!" -■•-;••■_ " We; do v not call her so," 6aid the Foreign Secretary, with a deprecatory wave c£ the hand. "She is one of our political agents, that is all. Mile Homdff is poor, though she appears rich. She lives on the British Government. |sbe is part Russian, part English : but For an injustice done to her father by the Government of the Czar she bates Russia and spends her life in secretly '. working against it. She has managed tilings ;go cleverly that the Russians do * hot suspect her, and she is on outwardly friendly terms with them all. Now, [ Mile Somoff wants to give up this '' poiitica. x r ork, because she is in love. ! jßut she must have money. She wants . it for her own dot, without which she • cannot marry the man on whom she has ; Bet her heart ; and 6he wants it, too, as 1 gather, foi Mm, for he has got into ] somo mess on., of which she means to '. extricate him. Therefore she has : brought off this great coup ; she has got us a sight of the treaty. With tho < ten thousand pounds which she asks of ] us, which we shall willingly pay, she ; trill retire from business, if I may put • it co; and then she will marry." ; " And may I ask the name of the lnan?" said Power ', "It is tho young Marquis do Tour- 1 Helles: from whom she. has stolen the treaty." " I am afraid I do not understand," laid Power. n I • "I am not surprised, for the situa- • tion is unusual, and dramatic. Do Tournelles is an TTnder-Secretary in the French Foreign Office. It is his special : duty to tako care of important State ; papers, which are kept in safes in his offices- Sometimes ladies go to tea with "him there. Mile Somoff has been often. On the last, occasion she begged him to show her some of these momeji- ; tous documents, and her lover consent- . cd. She abstracted the treaty while his back was turned, and put another pajwir m its place." I ' " What 1" cried Power. "She be-.* grayed her own lover 1" I "She. betrayed him to save him," ■miled the Foreign Secretary. "We lournelles must have money quickly ; the fcno\ys that. To save him from one ( Jdnd\of ruin, ehe does a thing which, if discovered, will bring on him another. fehe looks to us to get her out of the position, iv which she has placed her- ' Jtolf." I "How?" ' " By. restoring the treaty to her at the earliest possible moment, and by j the surest band. An agent she could J fcrust crossed with the treaty last night j (it wa6 only yesterday afternoon that j : riihe took it), and reached my house j ', early this morning. The Prime Minis- < ter has seen the document, we have copied it, and now it must be taken ; back immediately. , Within tho last fialf hour I have had a cypher telegram from Mile. Somoff urging speed and caution. She fears that something has got out, and that ehe is suspected. IJliere is a Count Lobanoff at the Rusvian Embassy in Paris who is her rejected suitor. He is in a dangerous mood. He has threatened her. She does not know what he guesses, or «phat steps he may not have taken ; but pvery boat and every train between ■ London and Paris will bo watched moro closely than usual. It is for this reason that we wanted to get a messenger who should not excite suspicion, for most of our ordinary agents are probably known to fch© French police, ft is lucky for us that you happened fco cafl here this morning. Can you Start at once? "It is nearly ten. You jnust catch the eleven fcra,na from Char-i»g-cross." ■ "Nothing easier,*' aaid Power. "I can be back at ray rooms in ten minntes, and my man can pack a bag in ten more. There's any amount of lime to spare." " Wait a moment," interposed Sir )ftorley Grant. He went to a side •able, on which stood an apparatus, >otnriosed of mirrors and tubes. You

know I am a dabbler In science. Well, I have invented this affair to suable me to eeo all that passes in --he street i outside. It has often proved useful, 1 when the spy fever is on, and the dsieetivea of foreign Powers arc keeping ■;m eye on my callers — as happens sometimes. You see those mirrors outMdc the window? They are the usual things that people have to show -.vhat is going on in the street, or who is standing at the door; but by this arrangement of mine, I magnify and reflect the image?. Look!" Tho Home Secretary had rigged up a kind of telescope tube on a revolving stand, and beyond it stood a. large mirror. Every person walking or standing in tho street was clearly reflected inside- tho room, the figures appearing from a foot to six inches high, according to their distances from tho house. Lord Sevenoaks and Power stared eagerly into this modern magic mirror. '•'Good gracious, Grant!" exclaimed tho Foreign Secretary. " It's lucky you thought of this ingenious trick. Do you see that fellow sauntering by tho railings of tho square — the man with the umbrella and the pointed boots? It's ten years since I have seen him, but I never forget a face. I knew that man. in Paris, when I was at the Em!)P.«iv. He's a French political spy." "Then, the nest i* s? roused, s:nd the wasps ar<? buzzing already," said Sir Morloy. "We must get you out the back 'w,\v. Power ; though they'll bo watching* there, ton. I have it." ho cried, with a \v!-i:nsieai smile. "Do you mind sacrificing your moustache?" "In such a cauoe — no," answered Power ; but his hand went lovingly to his well-kept brown moustache. "Then come up to my room and {.have at once," replied Sir Morley. "We'll put you into the livery of one -of my t-ootmen — oh, a clean one, 1 can promise yon. I've had to do thw before. Then I'll order the carriage, and you ■shall take my wife out (shopping." A quarter of an hour later Sir Morley Grant's barouche- drove round to the front door of his house, with a stout coachman on the box and a cleanshaven footman by his side, dressed in a neat, claret-coloured livery. _ The door opened ; Lady Grant came down the steps, a little dog in her. arms; the footman opened the door of the carriage, touched his hat. and sprang up to the box just as the man with tho umbrella and the pointed boots strolled unoste-ntatioui'ly by, ca?tin« a searching look into the barc-uehe from lowered eyes. The carriage drove away tov/ards Piccadilly : the spy dawdled up to the corner of the square, looked about him, and returned on the other side. The two statesmen watched his movements in tho mirror. _ j " I hope we've done him this time,! anyhow," chuckled Sir Morley. Lady Moiley drove to Marshall and Snelgrove's, where her carriage stopped. To the footman who cam c obsequiously to the door she gave c-oine orders, her grey .eyes twinkling. He went into the shop, passed through it into the back street, jumped into a hansom, and dashed back to Half Moon Street, while Lady Grant took a. turn in the park. "'Who are you, a-shovin' your way into his lordship's rooms Why. my lord, I didn't know you !" cried Parker. Power's servant, us* hie? master dashed upstairs. Power flushed a little under his man's critical glance. " Don't stare, Parker," he said. "Get ■me out- of thes o things, pack a bag for two days, and call a hansom. After dark take these things round to Sir Morley Grant's and bring back mine. I will telegraph when I'm coming home." At Charing Cross Power registered his bag and went on to- tho platform. Ho had put the treaty into a leather letter-case, and carried it in the inner breast-pocket of his coat. Over that he wore- a light overcoat, closely buttoned. He was keenly on the alert, his nerves thrilling with the spirit of adventure. He scanned the faces round him, wondering which of them were those- of spies; speculating on the possibility whether among the crowd on tho platform there was anyone who guessed his errand, anyone watching to take him off his guard and pick his pocket of its precious contents. He found a compartment with only one occupant — a man who sat at the further end, his face hidden behind an open newspaper. Over the seats were strewn bags, rugs amd parcels ; it looked 8S if every place was token. Power would have liked to ask if this were the case, but the window was up, "uid though he tapped upon it. the man behind the paper did not show bis face. " Reserved., sir," eaid the guard, bus! "ling up ; " plenty of room further down Look alive, sir! We're off in a minute." ' Power was turning away to find another seat, when two mon hurriedly pressed out of the crowd, swiftly opened, with a key that one of them carried the compartment the guard had said was reserved, and, jumping in, would have shut the door behind them. From where he stood Power saw that at the sudden incursion, the solitary man in the corner abruptly lowered the newspaper that had screened his face. He was a man of, perhaps, thirty, clean-shaven, with keen, shifty eyes, and new clothes that looked as if they had been bought ready-made. There was something horsey in his style ; he might have passed for a groom out on a holiday. But what struck Power disagreeably was the sudden flash of fear that swept across hLs face. His cheeks went very pale, he half lwe from his seat, then sank back again ; but he made no attempt to turn out the intruders : ho did not call the guard. Most likely, thought Power, he is oho of those- selfish travellers who spread their things all over the seats to make it appear that tho compartment is fully occupied in order to keep it to theinselvwj, one of those passengers who tip the guard lialf-a-crown to bribe him for special favours at the expense of other travellers. If tbe two newcomors could get in, clearly Power could get in also, and as tho train was about to start, and there was no other carriage near with so many seats to spare. Power grasped the handle of -he door. lustantly one of tho men who had jw?t entered seized! the door on. the inside to shut it. "Reserved," he called ov.i. "'You can't get in here," :md h& tugged at the strap or tho window. Power was nettled. " Nonsense, " ho said. "'I have as much right bcr<j as you have. You've only just got in yourself." Immediately the ether newcomer put his hand on the door also, to aid his companion and shut Power out. But Power was a strong man. With a sudden wrench he pulled tho door open. The guard's nag was waving, his whistle shrilling O'U the signal for departure. The train began to- move. Power leaped in, and slammed tho door behind him. As ho faced for an instant the first occupant of the carriage he caught a sudden look of relief in his eyes, like that of a man who has just passed through a pressing danger ; then he turned angrily upon the two others. "No offence, now you are iiC' said the one who had first tried to keep him out, with an unpleasant grin. "'The fewer you are, tho more comfortable,

that's nil." Both these men xcro well dressed :n new 'xud sxpensivc clothes ; bul their commonness showed through., and their vulgarity displayed itself hi the loud pattern of cheir neckties, the . profusion of rings on their fingers. " I'c'fi vei-y selfish, any way/ commented Power., and ilio four passengers fell into silence,, each settling into a corner. No one spoke again en the 1 whole run Dover. i With arms folded -over tire precious leather ease Power sat and stared out of tho window, his mind sometimes running on to Paris and the termination of his odd adventure, sometimes '. coming back to busy itself with his travelling companions. He guessed them to be men connected with the turf — perhaps trainers going .">n business to Paris, or bookmakers taking a holiday in the French capital m\ the strength of vecent winnings. He was puzzled etill by the oddness of tl:cir behaviour, and he could not shake; :vff the feeling that there was something stealthy and underhand afoot. The very stillness and silence of tho three seemed ominous to his excited mind, and then ho laughed at himself for such thoughts, telling himself that he was suffering from nerves, as a result of his strange mission. It was part of Power's plan not to get into a crowd; therefore when the trein slowed down and finally stopped alongside the boat he did not hurry 'togo on hoard. The man with the shifty ayen began slowly to collect his j scattered, belongings, and called a perJ ler to carry his bae. the other two ! men alighted and disappeared. So it j happened that Power was thn last per- : poii in the procession up the steep guiigj way thnt led to the boat, the man with the shifty eyes being just in front of I him. Power had his hand* frei\ the other was encumbered with umbrellas and a rug. .Above them, on the deck of the boat, a little crowd of passengers was jilre-.^dy assembled, and waiting at tho head of the gangway. Power descried the two other men who had been his travelling companions from Charing Crops. Suddenly someone raised a shout: "Hurry up, the- gangway's falling!" Instantly there was confusion. The ooople who were nearest the boat rvn quickly up and jumped upon the de.^k. Power also quickened his pace, e.*q ecting the man in front of him to do he same; but, to his astonishment, the fellow seemed to lose his head, turl i'd, and ran back into Power's arms »i> a iolently that he had to seize tho rails of the e;ana;way with, both his hands to prevent himself being hurled backward*?. The man's rug covered Powet s face, until, having steadied him sell on the sloping way, he tor e at It and got free again. ; "You fool!*' he cried. '"Go the otFe-r way!" But tho man had not waited foi Him to speak. The moment Power had <" : s«ngagcd himself he turned and ran p the gangway, leaving the man to fo» w, "Who shoutfc 1 out that the gangway was falling*. ' the red-faced first officer was angrily demanding of the world in general : but no one answered. The instant Power h'd recovered his presence of mind, whi h had deserted him for a brief moment, his hand flew to his pocket. Yes. he could feel the leather case in his inner pocket; tho treaty was therefore safe. It had been no premeditated plan, ho told himself, dismissing the suspicion which had I flashed into his mind, but the. mere blundering stupidity of a timid man. The man himself was at bis sido apologising profusely for his awkwardness, declaring that he was scared out of his lifo by the sudden shout, and hoping lie had nob trodden on Power's toes. Power cut short his protestations with a not very gracious word, and walked away. Ho kept to himself during tho short passage across to Calais, walking the deck, and hugging from time to time his precious case. He lunched at a table by himself in tho buffet at Calais, and got into the compartment of the corridor tnain for Pans with people whom he had never seen before. The three men with whom ho had travelled from London had <lisappeared. Four hours to Paris, and then his mission would be accomplished. At tho Garo dv Nord Power lingered i little to let the other people clear their luggage before ho applied for his ; he was determined to be moro than ever on his guard now that ho had arrived in Paris. When his bag had been passed by the Customs-house officer, Power beckoned a porter to carry it to a cab, and was following quickly behind him, when suddenly a man walking by .him with a portmanteau on his shoulder, let it. fall right at Power's feet. It v»*as impossible to stop himself in time, and he fell headlong, bumping his head on the stone pavement. Immediately he felt an arm round his waist; someono was helping him to his feet, and ho heard, through the singing in his ears, a voice that he knew. " 1 was I who was clumsy Last time/ it said; "now it's you. Glad to be of service, I'm sure." It was the shifty-eyed man, who was elaborately dusting him down with his handkerchief. Dazed as .he was, Power's hand went automatically to tho pocket where he had deposited the treaty in its leather case; and he was re-atssured when he felt its outline safe above his heart. It had been an accident, then, and no plan to rob him: or tho thief would have made th© most of his opportunity while ho wap struggling to his feet. Yet he could feel tho case, and his coat was securely buttoned. Therefore, all must be welt. He would have liked, though he dared not, to verify the safe posses-siou of the treaty; but it would be highly dangerous to take ont tho case and open it — dangerous- even in the cab. Better wait until ho could hand it over to Mile. Somoff herself, secure from observation in. his sitting-room at the Grand Hotel. He could see nothing of the clumsy fellow who had let tho portmanteau tumble; doubtless he had made off with it in the confusion for fear of being blamed. So with a few word? of thanks to the man who had helped him, Power followed his porter to the cab, and drove off to his hotel. In the register he wrote: li Mr John mutton, London," that being the name tho Foreign Secretary had told him to take^ and his rooms having been engageu by wire, he was shown to them at ones. With a sigh of relief he nun" his hat on the table of tho sittingroom, and had unbuttoned his overcoat to got at tho treaty, when thero was a quick, imperious rap at the dooi '•Entrez!" he cried, and Mile Somoff came in hastily. She did not at all answer to tho conventional concep- ' tion of the woman spy. Her simplymade walking gown of black revealed a figure slim and beautiful. Her fatewas a long oval, with a straight Greek nose, Jevel brows, and eyes of such deep violet as to be almost black. Her hair, plainly dressed in a low knot on the neck, was of a ruddy gold, (vith copper-coloured depths in its shadows. She was a creature all elegance and fine breeding — a lady to her finger-tips — the 'iind of woman for whom men will die. Power advanced to meet her, bowed, carefully shut the door, and gave ber a seat by the table. Sh« returned dip , bow with constraint. Her ayes were strangely bright; her manner eng?^ ed that she was with difficulty controlling her excitement. "Lord Potrer!" she % exclaimed. " ThGre must 7 je some mistake. T did not come to see you. T came to call ' S3 '''On Mr John Button, perhaps?" he suggested, with a smile. "I am he — for the time." She brightened. "You know, then? You have come to halp me? You bring me something?" "I am the messenger from your friend In London*" he answered, ' ; and

I bring you this." He drew from his inner pocket a leather case, and held it towards, her without looking at it. for ho was watflriug the light of joy that gleamed quickly in her violet eyes. Suddenly hoi pupils dilated, a deathly pallor swept the colour from her cheeks. She half rose from her chair, and snatched quickly at the case. At thfi same instant Power heard a sound hehintl him; n mnivs arm shot past him. swooping on the case as tho girl's I fingers wero closing on if: With a cry rVi.o" sank back, ami. wheeling anprily, Power found inmcelf confronted by n. commissary of police, mlk> hsd entered noiselessly from the adjoining bedroom. Behind him stood two genThe, thine had happened in an instant, and in the deer* mortification of defeat Power was tempted to throw himself upon the man and tear the treaty irorri him. An instant's reflection 'showed the loliy of usinc force when he was outnumbered three io one. Better to tenmorise ar.d try diplomacy — bribery. The stout, beadyeyed commissary had a malicious smile of t"umnh. "Just i>i time!" be sf>"!, .jrriu^^v. "1 trust, mi lor' PovraJre wil! r.ot obstruct the police in tho execution of their duty." He gave a nod, and his subordinates moved swiftly to guard the two doors. '" My orders are to see vhat mi lor' Pnwaire has brought to Mile Ss-moff; and if necessary to arrest bo*h." Power glanced at the girl. _ Her face was ashen ; her eyes despairing. '•' I protest," he said, vigorously. ct affainet this invasion of my twins. I forbid you to open that case." But with a shrug of the shoulders, the commissary drew back the fastening, and disclosed — not the treaty, but a magnificent diamond necklace, which flung back from its many facets in bewildering reflections the brilliant light of the electric lamps. Fires seemed to burn in the hearts of the stones; they shot forth rays dazzling in their intensity. The value of the jewels was immense. Tho commissary drew the glittering chain trcm its velvet resting-place, held it up on one finger, and whistled to himself. From their posts at the doors tlic tvio gens <i'arm«« craned their necks in wonder. Power's heart seemed to give a great leap in his bosom and then stand still. His eyes sought the girl's. She was staring at the necklace with an expression he could not fathom ; but her overs danced, her breast heaved quickly, and from an attitude of desp::ir ehe seemed to have passed to one of elation. The commissary gently laid the neeklaco back in its case, and put it on the table with a deprecatory bow. "Mi lor' Powaire will give me his word of honour that this is what he brought from England for MUe. Sonioff?" ho asked. '' You saw yourself." eaid Power cold- 1 ly. " You snatched it as I was on the point of giving it to the. lady, who had but that moment come into my room." Tho commissary turned to Mile. Somoff. " And the lady will declare that Lor' Powaire has given her nothing but this?" " Nothing." Tho commissary bowed low. "I must apologise." he said. '• I did but obey instructions." He nodded to his men, and bowed a^ain at the dcor. j " You will n.nke your excuses." said Power, "to-morrow, wligii the British Ambassador inquires into this outrage." , Tho moment the door closed. Mile. ! Sonioff ran to Power, and laid her trembling hand upon his arm. Her eyes shone with joy. ''Splendid!" she ex- j claimed. " xuo necklace-, too! This is a j day of triumph. Now give me the other j thing you have brought me- -the parch- : ment-^-and I will ki&s your hands, and thank you every day until I die." The blood ebbed from Power's face, then camo rushing back in a scarlet tide. The girl's eyes were fixed expectantly on his. " : 1 understand nothing of (ill this,"' he .said, bewildered. '"I ■ was to have brought you tho treaty." Mis hands were rjuarchiug desperately in liiss pockets. li It was in a case — like thai, but not the same. That necklace I hare never teen before. The tr-eaty— is gone !" Ihe girl recoiled a pace, and pressed ' a hand over her heart. "Ah!" she ; cried, "you cannot mean it; 3*oll are joking with me. JJut the matter is ' too serious. Do not jokoJ Every in- j i fctanfc in oi deadly importance. J guess | 1 tho meaning of this visit from the no- ' f lice. It L an enemy of mme — Count Lobanoff — who Las denounced me. Per- ' haps they will suspect my friend also, 1 the Marquis de TourncHos. ii they ! search his safe and find tho treaty gone, ' he will be ruined for ever — ruined by f me, who love him, and have risked 1 everything to savo him. Do not tell ' m« you have lest the treaty !" She shook his arm, us Power stood dumb, ] with white, drawn face, tasting the bit- J tornesr, oi^ failure. "Oli, explain , explain V cried tiu> girl. "'I cannot bear ( the (suspense ! You did not know you ( had this in your pocket?" She laid a ' linger on the- necklace. "it is incredi- < ble ! Men do not carry thousands of pounds' worth of diamonds without f knowing it. \Vht»n 1 riicognised it in ! the commissary's hands J. thought th«t in somo mysterious way you liatl get to know of our trouble and danger, and : that you had been able to bring me ] tho missing necklace as well as tho , treaty. But now Ido not understand, n You had the treaty, and you have, lest it; you did not know you had the diamoiids. and they wore in your pocket!" •, She had poured out her words in a tor- ; rent, and 110 w faced him with hands o'lenched upon her bosom. Power's mind was travelling back. * rlo was trying to recall every instant 01 f his journey. " 1 cinnot "underst-aiid 1: it," he said, at lena;th. t "•.think! Thinf!" implored Mdlle v Sonioff. "If you do not understand t about tho necklace, i will tell you. It r belongs to the old Princess de Beans- v set. She's the godmother of my fiance, 1 tho Marquis de Tournelles, and has been to him more than a mother. Her 7 son, tho young Prince, is a spendthrift, * and has lost an enormous sum at cards, r which he cannot pay. To save her bGy P from dishonour, from being cashiered i ] from the army, the Priccess was will- t

ing; io cell her famous diamond necklace, but- i:he dared not tell the old : Prince, her husband, for ho is stern, i.nd would not have allowed it. In her j trouble, she went to t:he Marquis. Ho 1 offered to go to Amsterdam for her. and sell the stones there, replacing them with paste imitations, so that she might still appear to have the necklace. Rs started the day before yesterday with the necklace in his pocket. When he got to Amsterdam it was gone ; sorao expert thief had robbed him. He was in despair. He thought — ho dreaded — that the Princess would not believe his story, but would think that, yielding to a sudden temptation, he had taken jt-he jewels for himself. He rushed back to Paris, but has not had the courage to tell i>he Princess of the loss, nor could he call in the police. Ifc was to save my lovr from this terrible position that I took tbo treaty. Now. in some miraculous way. you bring me back the necklace. What does it all mean?" Power saw a twilight glimmer in the midst of the darkness. " There was a man," he said, half to himself; "a man who jostled against me — twice." '•' A man ! What was he like? What did he do?" Mile Somoff came up to him and K-eized his arm again. The sweep or' her train set dancing a little picoo of paper on the floor. It fluttered to Power'© feet. There was writing on it. .fie stooped swiftly ; his eyes absorbed in a flash the meaning of the ecrawled words. "This," ho said to himself, " muet^ have fallen from my pocket when I took out the case." '"Wait here; hide the necklace,''" he said, swiftly. "You shall have the treaty," and snatching his hat he ran out of the room. • A cab carried Power quickly across the Seine and to the Boulevard St Germain. Here ho dismissed the man, and walked on till h© came to a quist street, running towards the Luxembourg. He found tho number ho wanted, darted unobserved past tho box of tho concierge, and mounted rapidly io tho third floor. It was past eight: shadows filled the staircase and the empty well of the silent house. Ho rang the bell at a door on which he could just decipher in the dusk the name " Maurice .Jufl'ien."- Reh eard a tinkle in the silence within ; but no one camo to his summons. Power tried the handle of the door; it turned, ho stepped noisily into- the dim hall, and coughed obtrusively. No one answered ; nothing stirred. No ray of light eiscaping from a keyhole, or <i half-open dcor announced tho presence of human life. Power's muscles were braced. He realised that lie might b<> in an ambush. Lightly, eautiou&ly, he went from door 10 door that led from the hall and flung them widv open. He peered into furnished rooms without occupants. At the lait door hf> slipped, and recovered himself by clinging to the doorpost. A dark, oozing liquid wax lazily flowing out from under the- door. The. sight of 11 chilled him. He took out bis matchbox, lighted three or iour vestavS held together, pushed open the door and ©tared in. On tho flo<ir was huddled something that looked incredibly email and mean. Power lighted wnie more matches, and., stepping so as to avoid the dark, lazily flowing stream, etared down into fli« ghastly face of the man with the shirty eyes They Mere wide open, and looked uj> at him with a. kind of startled {appeal. Power touched his forehead and one hand that lay palm upwards. Both were. cold. There wa.s a red gusli in the- man's breast. It was the eourco of the sluggish stream that had welled out over tho clothes end had flowed away under the door. With a pang of horror for the crime which had been committed there mingled in Power's mind a desperate regret that he had conic perhaps too late. Ho found a pair of wax caudles in handsome silver sticks, lighted them and stooped down by the quiet body. A crimsoned knife, with ivory handle, lay on the floor ; the victim's clothes were slashed ; tho pockets turned inside oul. The murderer had rifled the body, yet had neglected things of value, for money was scattered about, gold coins shining in the candle-light ; there was a litter <>i crumpled letters and a handsome cigar-case lay open and dented. Suddenly with a great leap of the pulsoG, Power esj>ied the corner of a leather caso under one helpless arm of tho still form, whoso shifty e3'e.s glared up into his own. With a catching of the breath, he drew it out. The fastening had been undone, a folded yellow paper stuck part way out — it was tho treaty, flung aside as worthless by the murderer, who had sought for conic other prize. Power slipped it into his packet, gavo one brief glance into tho fixed eyos that a brief hour ago had looked comprehcmlingly back into his, blow out the candles, closed, "the doom behind him, and ran lightly down the deserted staircase. The concierge was gossiping with another woman at the ; ttoor of her lodge. Fortunately there wa« but little light in the hall, and he passed quickly out into the strep b. Half" an hour later ho walked quietly into the Grand Hotel, mounted to his sitting-room, acd gravely put the . treaty into the hands of Mho Somoif. t From grateful letters he afterwards received from tho Marquis and Marquise de Tournolles (for the marriage or Mcllle Somoif took place a few days j after Power's visit to Paris), from what appeared in the public Press, I from his own recollection of what had taken place on his memorable journey, ami from tile scrap of paper ho had found on the floor <if his rooms in tho Grand Hotel, Power was able to piece together an explanation of the various happenings. Tho maa found dead 111 the house noar the Luxembourg was identified as Leo Benmnglou, a ocsmo- j polatan ihief of the; highest renown, aho passed in Paris ::& Main ice Julhexi. The- researches of tho polico failed to establish who was his murderer — whether tho two men of common appearance jvho followed him iirto the houeti »hoftiy after his arrival, or the handnoruo man, looking like an Englishman, tvbo had called later. The detectives found, however, that Beimington had just been trom Paris to Amsterdam, Miafc from Amsterdam ho had been to Rotterdam, cross-ing thence to Harivich, passing through London, and iloubhug back to Paris. The purpose- 1 >i' this eccentric journey they could not understand, though Power, had ho siml, could have enlightened them. ■' Dear Sir." ran tho shaky linos 'crawled in the railway train on the riaper Power had found en tho floor, ' I like your honest, face, uml to-day pT>u have do no mo a good turn by Raving me from v disagreeable death on :.ho railway. I ask you to excuse me breading on j-our ioe on tho gangway, md alfio for making you my carrier. in Pans I shall take buck the article pou have- kindly taken charge of for lie. If you will call on me at S bis. Hue- de la Bouoherie, I shall be pleased :o reward you. — Maurice Jullicn." It was plain to Power that Benning--011 had stolen the Princess necklace • rom tho Marquis de Tournelles, that j ie had had confederates who thought ■hemselvfs entitled to a share of the , nrofits, which ha was determined that hey should net have ; that these two g nen tracked Beunington and travelled I'ith him to Dover, meaning to rob and 6 :ill him in the train, being uncon- c ciously frustrated by Power ; that tho ? hief, with dexterity worthy of such a j. naster in the higher branches of j locket-picking, ihrust the diamonds s nto Power's coat on the gangway of x he boat, meaning to take them back £ gain in the Gard dv Nard, but in bis c lurry took instead, by mistake, the T reaty which was in a similar leather j ase. As to the cry that the gangway 1 ras falling, that, Power was convinced, j ras a desperate dodgo of the disaplointed confederates to induce Bcniington co rush, on to the boat, hoping I hat in the confusion and panic they s night rob him of the stones. But ha r sad seen through the trick, and foiled j n