em, but they merely halted at the doorway long enough, apparently, to
assure themselves that one whose whereabouts they wished to establish
was within.

Then they proceeded directly to the first-class cabins upon the
promenade deck. Here Tarzan found greater difficulty in escaping
detection, but he managed to do so successfully. As they halted before
one of the polished hardwood doors, Tarzan slipped into the shadow of a
passageway not a dozen feet from them.

To their knock a woman's voice asked in French: "Who is it?"

"It is I, Olga--Nikolas," was the answer, in Rokoff's now familiar
guttural. "May I come in?"

"Why do you not cease persecuting me, Nikolas?" came the voice of the
woman from beyond the thin panel. "I have never harmed you."

"Come, come, Olga," urged the man, in propitiary tones; "I but ask a
half dozen words with you. I shall not harm you, nor shall I enter
your cabin; but I cannot shout my message through the door."

Tarzan heard the catch click as it was released from the inside. He
stepped out from his hiding-place far enough to see what transpired
when the door was opened, for he could not but recall the sinister
words he had heard a few moments before upon the deck, "And if she
screams you may choke her."

Rokoff was standing directly in front of the door. Paulvitch had
flattened himself against the paneled wall of the corridor beyond. The
door opened. Rokoff half entered the room, and stood with his back
against the door, speaking in a low whisper to the woman, whom Tarzan
could not see. Then Tarzan heard the woman's voice, level, but loud
enough to distinguish her words.

"No, Nikolas," she was saying, "it is useless. Threaten as you will, I
shall never accede to your demands. Leave the room, please; you have
no right here. You promised not to enter."

"Very well, Olga, I shall not enter; but before I am done with you, you
shall wish a thousand times that you had done at once the favor I have
asked. In the end I shall win anyway, so you might as well save
trouble and time for me, and disgrace for yourself and your--"

"Never, Nikolas!" interrupted the woman, and then Tarzan saw Rokoff
turn and nod to Paulvitch, who sprang quickly toward the doorway of the
cabin, rushing in past Rokoff, who held the door open for him. Then
the latter stepped quickly out. The door closed. Tarzan heard the
click of the lock as Paulvitch turned it from the inside. Rokoff
remained sta