tem may possibly tell us something."

The Prince walked away quite easy in his mind. Yes, no doubt, the
post-mortem would tell them something--that la Quero had been done to
death by a very subtle poison. But he had reasoned it all well out.

It would be proved that he had shared a light repast with La Belle
Quero that same evening. It might be proved that he had brought her a
box of chocolates, out of which two were missing.

They could analyse that box of chocolates. They would find no poison
in them. There was only poison in one, the one that he had picked out
as a fine fat fellow and which she had crunched greedily between her
strong white teeth.

That same morning Stepan woke up from his deep stupor in the mean
lodging of Ivan the Cuckoo.

"Where am I?" was his first question, as he opened his heavy eyelids.

Ivan bent over him, till his bearded face was close to that of the
dazed man.

"You are with your old friend and comrade. Last night I took the
liberty of playing a little trick upon you. You will forgive me when I
tell you the object of that trick was to ensnare our old enemy,
Zouroff."

Stepan's rather expressionless countenance showed considerable
animation. He tried to speak, but the sounds would not issue from the
paralysed organs. He had recourse to his usual signs, which read as
follows:

"What has happened at the Villa Quero? I was not there at the meeting
last night. You drugged me to keep me away. Who took my place?"

"A friend of mine who resembles you very closely," replied the late
outlaw, who was not greatly given to imparting confidences. "I expect
he got some important information, my good Stepan. He can hear
perfectly, and he understands both French and Russian."

Stepan rubbed his hands gleefully before he replied. "Ah, I would be
glad to hear that Zouroff was trapped; but I should be very grieved if
they caught poor Madame Quero, she was always so kind and considerate.
Many a night at those meetings I was kept up very late. She would
always come to me the next morning with her bright smile, and give me
a handsome _pour-boire_."

Ivan, who had spies all over the city, imparted the latest news.
"Madame Quero died last night, or rather in the early hours of this
morning. Zouroff was at the villa during the evening, a short time
before she left for the Opera. There are rumours that she died of
poison. You can put two and two together, Stepan."

Yes, knowing Zouroff as well as he